Tales of the Titans: Crucible
by Nitebreaker
Summary: The big day has arrived for Terra and Beast Boy, but the job of the Titans goes on, as a shadowy threat from the past emerges, to test their friendship and unity. Evil never dies. Sequel to "The Awful Truth, Part 3." The usual pairings: Star/Rob, BB/Terra, Kitten/Omega, etc. Rated for language, adult situations, and maybe even a little character death. Consider yourself warned.
1. Chapter 1

Tales of the Titans: Crucible, chapter1

Chapter 1: A Matter Not Forgotten

"I'm not sure I understand, Captain. You've had deaths by disease before; such things have seldom required our help. Or yours, for that matter. Why is this one so different?" Robin was walking along with Captain Yeats of Jump City Homicide Division. Why was the captain being so secretive? He acted almost like he didn't want his own men to know.

"I can show you better than I can tell you. And I can't tell you….right here." Starfire and Devil Cat had accompanied Robin on his visit to the precinct, and were equally puzzled. The Captain had, in fact, specifically requested that Devil Cat be included.

Of course, the police captain's refusal to say anything did nothing to decrease their puzzlement.

"I've had to pull rank and call in a few favors to keep this here this long, literally 'under wraps,' but I think when you see it, you'll understand." Was all he'd say. Then he muttered, "I just hope you can help." The captain himself seemed almost _jumpy,_ something Robin had never seen in him before.

He led them into the morgue in the basement of the precinct house. Seemed like morgues were often underground, Robin mused. Maybe something subconscious in the human psyche….

Yeats shoo'd the other officers in the room away, except for the chief medical examiner. Robin figured, whatever this was, he'd probably know all about it, anyway. The ME made as though to pull to sheet off of the figure lying altogether too still upon the table. "Wait," said Yeats, "everybody, gown and glove up. Just a precaution." He gave them a peculiar look. "I really don't think it's necessary, but better too careful than not."

Once so gowned and gloved, they again approached the gurney. Robin glanced at Devil Cat. Starfire, he knew, had seen dead bodies before, but he didn't know about her.

She caught him glancing at her. "Not to worry, Rob. I'm tougher than I look."

"You may need to be," said Captain Yeats, signaling for the ME to unveil the corpse.

The body thus revealed appeared to be that of a fairly young man, or at least so Robin guessed from his short-cut dark hair. Other than that, and the sexual organs, given that the corpse was naked, it would've been hard to guess, due to the severity of what had obviously killed him.

The body was covered in what appeared to be enormously swelled red welts from head to toe. So thoroughly covered was it, that it was impossible to determine the ethnicity of the deceased.

Yeats read from a sheet. "One Marcus Jordan, of 129th Street. His landlady found him like this when he failed to pay his rent on time, failed to answer his phone—evidently he's normally very prompt and studious about informing her when he's away-and, of course, called us immediately." He showed the paper to Robin. "Cause of death: apparently massive cellular infection. We estimate he'd been dead about two days."

Robin rubbed his chin with one gloved hand. "Well, it's certainly…unusual. But I still don't see why you called _us_ in, or why Homicide's even involved. Death by… bee stings? Killer bees, maybe?"

Yeats was shaking his head. "Those aren't _stings_ on him, nor are they _bites._ Rather, it's a sporadic—or perhaps not so sporadic, seeing as how it's all over him…inflammation of the skin. As to why I called you in," and here he nodded to the CE. The two of them turned the body over, so it lay face down.

And there, protruding from Jordan's lower back, was what was clearly the beginnings of a _tail,_ with every sign of a developing stinger on the end. About three or four inches long.

They all looked at Kitten, who, in turn, brought up her poison-stingered tail, by way of comparison.

…


	2. Chapter 2: Needle in a Haystack

Tales of the Titans: Crucible, Chapter 2: Needle in a Haystack

"Alright," Robin called the meeting to order. It was later than usual, but he felt the circumstances warranted it, "what do we know? Let's go from the facts and extrapolate from there."

"Robin," spoke up Kitten, "I think it safe to say Jordan was exposed to the same or similar retrovirus I was, only on him, it didn't seem to….take, I guess you'd say."

Robin leaned back, crossing his arms, rubbed at an ear. "Yeah, I think it safe to say that. But what can we make of this information?"

"I don't know. I got the test samples from the forensics people, but they weren't much help. Too much time had gone by. As it is," she spread her hands, "I'm doing the best I can with what I've got. And I even pulled Daddy into it. He, too, has a personal stake in this, after all. I may not be much in the field of virology, but he _is._"

"Can either of you tell how this….disease was spread?"

"Without hard evidence…..my best guess would be genetically tailored mosquitoes. I have Omega searching his house and the surrounding area for what might be such." She leaned back herself, frowning. "But there's something else. When I was transformed, whoever did it—we assume—also cut my tongue out. But Jordan wasn't missing any body parts. I have no idea what could be gained by removing my tongue, but nothing was taken from Jordan. His body was intact. It's a slight change in MO, but a change, nonetheless. And we've never really figured out how and why they'd do that to me, in the first place."

"If I may," spoke up Athena, for the first time, "perhaps my remove from the situation gives me a unique vantage point….. As to the how, I have no idea. But I doubt that whoever excised your tongue was aware of the Osiran healing ability. From the reports I've read, it seems you barely were, yourself. It seems more logical that they were testing your healing factor."

"Mine? How-* _Oh_, I…see," Kitten jaw dropped. "Of course. It's so simple! Whoever did this to me had to be pretty much of an upgrade of the term 'master geneticist.' And what he hit me with was a virus specifically tailored for me, and for me alone. And we know that, ever since my transformation, that a cut on me completely heals within minutes, without even a scar. So…by cutting my tongue out, a _surgical_ _procedure_, all they had to do was, bug my house, quite literally, as it turned out, and wait _until they detected the sound of my own voice,_ at least, in an undamaged state, and that would give them a _precise_ measurement as to how long it took me to regrow a nonessential body part. A body part it wouldn't kill me to be without for a while. A body part they could tell, from a distance, without doing any sort of close-up physical examination, that I had back. It was just _so simple _it never occurred to me! They couldn't know that Omega would skew the results, what with his 'Osiran first aid,' or bring me here, or, or, anything." She thought some more. "That was…insightful, Athena. I honestly hadn't considered that before." She thought. "That might account for this failed attempt. After all, we've been presuming I'm a—or was—a 'trial run,'—at least, my dad's convinced of that.

"So of course the virus—at least, in its imperfect state, at least for Jordan—produced…what we saw."

"But that means that you and your parent's abode have been, and may still be, under constant surveillance."

"And that you may be playing host to who knows how many micro versions of suicide bombers. Kitten, I don't think your father should stay there anymore." Robin spoke up. "Maybe he should move into the Tower here with us. Or at least into one of our safe houses."

"I didn't know straights even _kept_ safe houses."

"Obviously you don't know Batman very well. Now, uhm, not to be harsh here, but…we sorta know about your father's, uhm, hobby. Have known, for quite some time. Not to worry," he raised his hand at Kitten's incipient protest, "no offense intended, but, to be perfectly honest, nobody in the superhero community really considers him that much of a threat. I know he was that one time, but you have to admit, he's not had a lot of success at it lately. Of course, I understand, you won't want to just come right out and _tell_ him that, so I'd recommend 'slipping' him, on the side, as it were, some info about stasis field tech, since I doubt he'll want to leave his 'children', and in any case, would be concerned about the possibility of any discovery violating the terms of his probation.

"But I'd really recommend the safe house option over just moving in here with us, and here's why. Not to be indelicate, but you probably won't want to rub his nose—proboscis?—in just precisely how, ehrm, _intimate_ you are with Omega, these day, so…."

"Although," Raven interjected, "as an empath, I can assure you that most parents can usually tell such things without actually hearing the words, especially if they live in close proximity to their children.

"For that matter," and here she looked pointedly at Robin and Starfire, and Kitten could swear the dark girl was suppressing a grin, "it's usually hard for _anyone_ who lives in close quarters with other people to really maintain such a secret for very long. Not from everybody." Robin shifted uncomfortably, while Starfire just looked puzzled.

"While I'm thinking about it," said Robin, a bit nervously, Kitten thought, as though in a hurry to change the topic, "where's Blackfire, Athena?"

"Out patrolling with Omega. It was thought they could cover more territory that way."

"She is? _She is?_" Kitten sat bolt upright. "Oh. Of course. That's right; they can both fly, can't they? That, uh,…makes sense. Uh, they're not patrolling _together,_ are they?" She made an obvious effort to act nonchalant.

"Of course not," replied Athena, innocently, "That would make no sense. They each took a separate area. Why?"

"Oh, nothing. Nothing at all." But the others couldn't help but notice Raven kept her hand solidly over her mouth, for some reason..

Starfire, however, was visibly shaking. "That _thing_ will _not_ be a Titan, not so long as I live!"

"Calm down, Star," Robin soothed, "Nobody's even proposed her for membership, and, as far as I know, nobody's planning to. She's just helping out, that's all." Privately, though, he worried about his fiancé; this went above and beyond a simple mad spell.

At that moment, Robin's T-cell beeped. "_Robin?_" Omega's voice soundly over the speaker-phone line, "_I have thoroughly scoured the area in and around Marcus Jordan's residence. I can detect nothing out of the ordinary. There are, of course, insects, but they appear to be perfectly normal ones, unlike those I found earlier when Kitten was transformed."_

"Well, catch a few and bring 'em back for study, just in case. Whoever we're dealing with knows his stuff. For all we know, these 'perfectly ordinary insects' might change, given the proper signal or condition."

"_I shall do so. Do you think it might be a good idea to bring Mr. Moth himself in? His expertise in these matters has been valuable in the past."_

"See if he wants to come. We can't really release information on this case to him, legally, but…you're right, his experience in these matters does come in handy." Privately, Robin was considering that, if Killer Moth were to be here in the Tower, knowing that there was a problem that required his special knowledge, there was a chance he might "accidently" come across the info regarding Jordan's death.

Robin's T-cell beeped yet again. This time it was Blackfire, patrolling the suburban side of the city, where Killer Moth and Kitten had lived. _"Robin? I think I've found something here you might wanna get a look at."_

"What is it?"

"_It looks like some sort of transponder. And it's right by Kitten's house, just outside her window, in fact. It's too odd-looking to have been there long. Should I bring it in?"_

"Can you tell if it's active or not?"

"_It seems to be inert. For now, at least. What do you want me to do?"_

Robin thought. "Bring it in, but take precautions. Treat it like a bomb, or viral element, 'cause it may well be. Bring it here to quarantine, and we'll take a look at it."

…

"Hmmmmm," muttered Killer Moth, looking at the samples through one of the Titans' microscopes. The ones supplied to them were orders of magnitude higher grade than even the National Institute of Health had access to, in part because Omega and Athena had modified them according to Osiran specs. "Yes, I can definitely see a similarity here. The retrovirus acted quickly, so quickly the poor sap didn't even have time to call for help. It was almost like he was blasted with a shotgun or something. Wouldn't have been much faster."

"Can you tell anything about this virus?"

"About the virus, no more than I've already said. It appears to have been mutated from Ebola Hemorrhagic Fever, but it's been changed quite a bit since then. Now it works even faster. I wouldn't have believed that possible. I mean, for a virus, any virus to work takes a certain amount of time. It has to latch onto an active cell, fit itself into the cell's 'factory' DNA, hijack it, and start churning out copies of itself. Of course, that's standard Ebola; this thing basically just changes the DNA itself. I really can't figure out how whoever did this got it to work so _quickly_.

"But you say you've not found any altered mosquitoes. Robin, you may be looking for the wrong thing."

"What do you mean?"

"Going from my own—_hrrummph_—experience _in the distant past,_ you don't raise an army of the adult stage of your insects. You keep them in larval form until you're ready."

"Oh?"

"Yes. You remember, when I tried to take over the city, you _saw_ a great cloud of adult mutated moths. Well and good, but they _had just then been forced into the adult stage._ The adult stage requires more space; after all, that's the _purpose_ of the adult stage: spread the species. The _larval_ stage, by contrast, generally requires far less room.

"But this virus didn't just spring out of nowhere. The larval stage may be carrying it, too. Then, once they've matured….."

"…They spread the plague. I see." Robin chewed a knuckle. "I'll definitely inform the others. Any idea where whoever is doing this could be holding his 'larval stage' mosquitoes?"

Killer Moth spread his hands. "With mosquitoes, any standing, stagnant body of water should do nicely. But I imagine just any old body of water probably wouldn't contain anything except perfectly ordinary mosquito larvae. Whoever is doing this," and here he pointed to the screen, "Wouldn't be so stupid as to leave his living weapons just lying about, just anywhere, any more than I did. You'll probably have to find him to find the larvae. But if they _are_ out there, you need to look for the virus, not the larvae themselves. That means-*"

"—Super vision. Microscopic vision powers. Yes. Omega and Athena. And maybe Cyborg, if he can adjust his bionic eye. Or come up with some sort of sensor."

"Could some of Beast Boy's forms come in handy?"

Robin shook his head. "He and Terra are getting married tomorrow, and leaving on their honeymoon immediately thereafter. By the way, you and Kitten, of course, are invited. It'll be at the First Methodist Church. Wanna try and make it?"

"You, uh, sure it's okay? I mean…I _am_ a known supervillain, and, let's face it, my appearance is…somewhat different…."

"Not to worry. I have a few choice words for anybody that says anything. And your daughter is definitely a member in good standing; all the law enforcement agencies are aware of that."

_To be continued..._


	3. Chapter 3: Unions

Tales of the Titans: Crucible, Chapter 3: Unions

The following day: The First United Methodist Church of Jump City was decorated especially for this occasion. There wasn't a huge crowd, mostly just a few of those in the superhero community, but Beast Boy liked it that way. Large crowds had always made him a little nervous, especially if he was the focus of their attention. He, Cyborg, Hank, and Robin were in their dressing room, trying to get their outfits _just so._ Garfield was nervously fiddling with his tie. It just didn't seem to want to go on just right.

"Uh, Rob?"

"Yes, Gar?"

"How's your ventriloquism?"

"My _what?_"

"If I faint….stick your hand up the back of my jacket and hold me up, would'ja?"

Robin clapped his friend on his back. "You're not gonna faint." Privately, though, he'd instructed the other Titans to be on the lookout for Tara, Terra's clone. This was _exactly_ the sort of thing she'd want to bust up. Although, by all accounts, and to all appearances, she had adjusted—somewhat—to Beast Boy and Terra's relationship, still, he could just see her appearing suddenly, trying to break up the ceremony. Devil Cat and Cyborg both had tranq guns ready just for that very possible eventuality.

Blackfire had asked if she could attend, and both Gar and Terra had said sure. She made sure to sit on the _opposite_ side of the church, as far away from her sister as she could get, however. Athena sat with her, noticeably _between _Blackfire and Starfire. They seemed to do a lot of things together lately, Robin mused. Apparently, the two had formed some kind of bond. Robin didn't _think_ it went beyond friendship—two outsiders, here on Earth—but if it did, well, it was none of his business.

The Orb had taken up a post right by the door, just a small piece of it, on a wooden pedestal. It looked, for all the world, like a globe of black crystal or stone, or….something. Nobody said anything about it, or even noticed anything unusual about it, but just took it to be part of the decorations. It was remarkable how the human mind can come up with explanations for the unexplainable. Robin had also instructed the Orb: if Tara showed up, envelop her quietly, get her out of the picture.

Both Angelique and Missy, in a departure from the norm, came down the aisle, spreading rose petals. This was the cue they'd all been waiting for.

Geo-force, Brion Markov, entered quietly from the back of the church, Terra on his arm. He solemnly led his half-sister down the aisle.

Robin had to give it to Beast Boy: he wasn't even sweating. His eyes were fixed on his soon-to-be wife.

Terra was lovely, resplendent in her white gown. The light veil over her face, with its small payload of evenly spaced, tiny pearls only served to accentuate her natural beauty. She was smiling, slightly, her blue eyes fixed on Garfield. Soon….

Starfire , Kitten, and Raven, as maids of honor, waited for Terra to come down the aisle. Each of them was particularly alert for anything or anyone who might disrupt the service.

Starfire was wearing a lavender evening gown, the same one, in fact, that she'd worn the night of Robin's "date" with Kitten. Kitten herself was wearing a blue gown cut close enough so that it served to accentuate her figure to the max. Of course, it had to be modified, slightly, to accommodate her tail, which she currently kept wrapped close around her leg, out of sight. Any onlookers might wonder about the slight bulge in the back of her gown, but so low cut was the dress (while remaining perfectly decent) that it was doubtful that any _male _onlookers would pay serious notice to such things. And Raven….

Raven had intended to simply wear her best outfit, with her best cloak over it. Kitten would have none of it. "This is a wedding, Raven, and you're one of the maids of honor. You've gotta look the part." And she'd tried gown after gown on the completely embarrassed sorceress, finally settling on one in navy, very similar to Raven's normal attire, but close-fitting. It, too, detailed every curve of Raven's body, much like Kitten's, greatly to to Raven's embarrassment. And while Raven might not have quite the build that Starfire had, in the upper torso, she had all she needed. The gown accentuated that, too, just like Kitten's. Raven blushed, just looking at herself in the mirror. "Just think of the effect it'll have on Hank," said Kitten, hanging over her shoulder. And Kitten wouldn't hear of Raven bringing her cloak to the service. "Oh, C'mon! You'll look like the Hooded Stranger. No, leave the cloak here for now. It won't kill you to be without it for an hour or so."

And it was true that, when she had showed up at the church, Hank's eyes had bulged at the sight of her. She could tell he was….mightily _affected_ by her, and she found herself enjoying that. A couple of light bulbs popped. He grinned at her sheepishly. Evidently she wasn't the only one who could blow out electrical equipment when she got…excited.

At the appropriate time, Robin, who, along with Cyborg, Hank, and Omega, were Garfield's best men, handed him the ring, which he prepared to place upon Terra's outstretched hand. The Reverend Jackie Reed readied himself, opening his Bible to the appropriate book and chapter: "_…for this is bone of my bone, flesh of my flesh…"_.

"…_Garfield Logan, do you take this woman…."_

…_.to have and to hold….in sickness and in health…."_

"_I do."_

"_Terra Markov, do you take this man…"_

"_I do."_

Time seemed to slow as Garfield placed the ring on her finger.

"_By the power invested in me, and before God and man alike, I now pronounce you man and wife. What God has joined, let no one put asunder. You may kiss the bride."_

Garfield lifted the veil from Terra's face, and her face lit up so much it was like an extra light bulb had just come on. The rain of tears flowing down her face did nothing to extinguish that. He bent to kiss her….

Seated midway back, the man called Killer Moth had to fight a hitch in his breath. This all reminded him so much of that wonderful day….Stacey…it had been eighteen years, but he remembered it just like it was yesterday, and always would….oh how he missed her….

Starfire was almost beside herself with barely contained joy. She wanted to go flying, announcing this most _glorious_ union….

Kitten tried very hard to act like it didn't affect her at all. Just a stupid ceremony, after all. No big. They were just words. But she found herself sniffling and brushing away the stubborn tears that just _insisted_ on coming out….must be allergies. Yeah, that was it. Allergies.

Raven, like Kitten, tried to pretend that the whole ceremony meant nothing to her, either. She seemed, at first, to be having about the same amount of success at than Kitten did. But once the service was completed, and the bridesmaids free to go, prior to the reception, she'd gone down to the rest room that was actually underground, due to the way the building had been designed. And there, in that small bathroom, in private, she'd let the tears out, and she'd sobbed and sobbed. And not all her tears were tears of joy, either.

After the reception, Terra had tossed her bouquet, deliberately aiming for Starfire. But Athena's reflexes caused her to jump over to that side and catch the hurtling mass of flowers, as if it were a bomb thrown at an ally. She hadn't really _thought _about catching it; it was just a reflex on her part. And, of course, she couldn't know the _significance_ of being the one to catch the bouquet, either….

Omega explained it to her, via Link, and she immediately handed the bouquet to Starfire, who could barely contain her laughter.

Of course, Cyborg just _had_ to trick out the "getaway car," as he insisted upon calling it, and, in typical Cyborg fashion, just couldn't be satisfied with the standard fish-oil on the steering wheel, or filling up the limousine with balloons, or even the time-honored tradition of cans tied to strings behind the car, or anything like that. Oh, no. He had it rigged so that when the newlywed couple drove off down the street to the airport that would take them to their honeymoon destination in New Zealand, a flashing holographic sign floated over the car: _Just married._ Robin had had to talk him out of adding _Go Jump City Gremlins_ to the message. Have _some_ respect, he'd said.

The two made it to the airport, and boarded their plane successfully. And, although they would never know it, Athena, Omega, _and_ _Blackfire_ ,of all people,accompanied the plane, from a distance, just to make sure it got to its destination safely. The latter's interest in Titans' affairs had caught Robin's attention. Of course, with Starfire in her current state of mind, Blackfire could never be a Titan, not officially, but…maybe something could be arranged, if she was truly sincere. And Raven, at least, was convinced she was. While Robin couldn't bring himself to actually _like_ Blackfire, due to what she'd done to his love, he had to wonder what could have happened to have so changed the formerly villainous Blackfire into…this. He'd also talked to Blackfire about sort of loitering about in the vicinity of the newlyweds, at a distance, of course, just to make sure no enemy with a grudge _just happened_ to be in the same area. That also got her out of Starfire's immediate range.

But soon, it was back to business as usual. The conference table seemed a little empty without the two honeymooners, but Robin figured they'd manage. He'd rigged it so Blackfire, on the other side of the world, could hear all that transpired here. After all, if she was going to be in the group, even peripherally, she needed to know what was going on. And it looked like, at least for now, she was going to be a part of the group. "Okay. This business of this virus…Mr. Moth? Have you anything to add to that?"

Killer Moth, attending as a guest, shook his head. "What's been done is far beyond anything I could do. Not only has the virus been altered, in just such a way, as to carry the information to effect the physiological change, but it also seems to have been able to have some way of transferring or replicating memory RNA, the chemical component associated with memory itself. Kitten can tell you, herself, that she has memories that she _knows_ aren't hers, that happened even before she was born. How it manages to do that, I have no idea. And, frankly, I doubt anyone except the designer does."

"Do you have any idea who it could be?"

"I'm not trying to sound sarcastic, but the designer didn't exactly leave his signature on the altered virus. However, _I'm_ convinced there's only one man I've ever known who could possibly have done this."

"Yes, you've mentioned him before. Doctor Herbert Quincy DeVille. And he's disappeared, apparently so totally that even computer records that normally should list him don't. That, in itself, is rather…suspicious."

"Very."

"Uh, Robin?" Hank spoke up, from his seat beside Raven. "If I might?"

"Yes, Hank?" It was a symbol, albeit an unconscious one, of just how much one of their erstwhile enemy's had become a part of their lives that Robin didn't even bother with Hank's codename.

"Don't get me wrong, I'm no detective, but we've seen two cases of this sort of thing: a retrovirus designed to alter a human being into….something else. Right?"

"Right. Which means we'll probably see more."

"Exactly. So what's similar about these cases?"

"Hm. Not a lot. Catherine Van Cleer," Kitten wasn't attending at this particular meeting, so Robin could use her birth name, that she normally, for some reason, never let ANYONE use, "white, Caucasian female, lived with father, former high school student, unemployed—well, you know, except for her stint as a supervillain, and her current, somewhat more socially acceptable, occupation," he rattled off the address, "Marcus Jordan, African-American male, 129th street—clear over on the other side of town, worked at the local mill—lived alone—not a whole lot of similarity."

"Age?"

"Kitten, eighteen. Jordan, twenty-two. Close. But still not conclusive."

Hank hesitated a moment. Then, "'When you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.' If age is the only linking factor, don't we sort of have to go with that?"

"Except there are probably _thousands_ of people in that age category throughout Jump City. We can't watch them _all."_ Robin said thoughtfully. "There _must_ be some other similarity. We just aren't seeing it yet."

Killer Moth spoke up. "There might—there just might be _genetic_ similarities that might account for each of their…selection. The problem is, I never bothered to take samples from Kitten back before she was transformed, and I doubt anybody did of Jordan. And now, their DNA is so different from what it was, that it won't make any difference if we did take samples."

"Which puts us back to square one."

"Except for one thing that I remembered: it might be nothing, but…"

"Yes?"

"In the case of Ebola Zaire, it's thought that the disease is carried by a host animal, the fruit bat. The virus doesn't harm the bat, but, once it makes the jump to a human, or other primate, well. This virus is mutated from Ebola Hemorrhagic Fever, but even so, there may be a host animal, one that can carry the disease with no harm to itself. Then, the virus can be transferred to the insects, and they take it from there. Literally."

"Hm. So we're still looking for the virus."

"Yes, but since it's so close to EHF, maybe we should be checking out any and all bats or locations where bats are likely to reside. No offense to your mentor, but any colony of bats in the nearby area could easily be the host of this virus, as well as regular Ebola, which maybe hasn't yet made the jump to a primate. If a genetically tailored mosquito just happened to latch onto a regular, wild bat, by accident—or vice versa…It's at least worth looking into. The location, maybe tracking the movements of the infected bats, if any, might tell us something. Maybe we should look for that. Bats, after all, are easier to track than mosquitoes."

"You're right. We will look into that. Any and all caves or other hiding places."

Before she'd left, Blackfire had brought in the strange looking transponder. In terms of size and shape, it looked, for all appearances, rather like a Gamestation controller. Robin had the wry thought that it was a good thing Gar _wasn't _here; he'd have a hard time keeping his hands off of it. Killer Moth and Kitten now both fell on it, keeping it not only in physical quarantine, but also in a specially designed faraday cage, designed to block any signals it might send or receive. While they were doing so, Athena happened to notice the odd-looking tube, still encased in its stasis-field. "Where did you get this?" she asked.

"Huh?" Kitten looked up. "Oh, that. Kid Flash and Jinx found it in an alleyway one night. I've never really had the chance to devote my time to unlocking the stasis field from around it…."

"It's a good thing you did not. That would have produced a…most undesirable event."

"Huh? How'd'you know?"

"Because _I'm_ the one who placed the contents of it into a stasis field. Two elements, in either end, both extradimensional in nature, separated by a partition. When combined, they produce a singularity, a condition where all the familiar laws of physics, of space and time, break down. An _expanding_ singularity." She handed the cylinder back to Kitten. "That would have been a…_most_ undesirable condition, believe me. I barely survived one, myself."

Kitten gasped. "So _that's_ what's in here! Omega told me about…what happened. Well, sorta in passing. He just said it happened, the Lords held you responsible, and you were to be, uhm, I mean…"

"Executed. You can say it, Devil Cat. It does not bother me to hear the word."

"So…these two elements…tell me about 'em." She was holding the cylinder, examining it closely, as if her vision could penetrate the stasis field around it.

"It is not simply told. I'd have to show you the mathematics. I can do that, but this probably isn't the best time or place."

"Good point. Okay, maybe later. But one thing I'm curious about: you're the one who placed 'em in…this tube? Why does it…look like…you know."

A puzzled look. "No, I do not know. Like what?"

"Well, you know, like a…oh, never mind. I guess it's not important."

_To be continued…_

_Please read and review!_


	4. Chapter 4: Memories

Tales of the Titans: Crucible, Chapter 4: Memories

_I don't own the Teen Titans._

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Far, far out in space, the Hunter Starship _Deson_ moved into what its crew hoped was range of its new quarry. They had found The One, and had brought a piece of Him back to their Homeworld; they had succeeded where their ancestors had not.

But now they had a new target. Having been alerted by Omega regarding the moving event, whatever it was, they sought to make what measurements they could. Nobody on board was expecting a great deal, but they all, every one of them, knew better than to try to get a personal glimpse of it. Their own legendry hinted at such things, things out here in the vast void of space that it was not wise to gaze upon. Talks to God had his own suspicions regarding the nature of what they sought, judging from the evidence, or, rather, the lack of evidence, they acquired in the Sterilized Systems. He did not voice his suspicions; he hoped they would remain only that.

But he was nonetheless prepared to have his hopes dashed.

Seer of the Way was seated in his usual command post, a nest of soft cushions that served the Hunter physiology in place of human chairs, with his floating screens alight around him. Right now, several of them were deliberately masked, showing only the coarsest data, much like an Earth radar or sonar screen. For what they were now hunting, precision and high resolution were actually _dangerous._

"Tactical: Launch probes."

"Probes launched, sir." They each felt the ever-so-slight shuddering of the great ship as the specialized and specially-shielded probes were launched toward the area of highest probability to contain their quarry.

For long, nervously long moments, they waited. One by one, the probes reported back in: no sign of the quarry. That worried them, particularly Seer. It was one thing to have one's foe in sight, to know where it is, even if one knows one cannot defeat it. But to have no sight of said foe….that was worse. Far worse.

"Sensor net. Coarse data only; we only want to find the area where the sensors fail most catastrophically." Out went the sensor net, spreading over thousands of kilometers, each sensor on it searching searching over thousands upon thousands more kilometers….

Nothing. The could find no trace of their quarry.

Seer activated his comm link with Omega. "We have examined the area you delineated. So far, we have detected nothing."

Omega's image gazed back at him from the screen. "Hm. A complication. All my data points to the event—whatever it is—moving steadily towards Earth. However, that does not mean it cannot change its course. In fact, if you can find no trace of it, it most probably has."

"Do you have any recommendations?"

"I have sensors scattered throughout that section of space. I would recommend you remain where you are, at least for the moment. You may wish to extend your own sensor nets in other directions, as a precaution. I do not _think_ that what we seek is a living entity, but that does not prevent it from behaving like one. Omega out."

…..

_I just don't understand,_ thought Robin, _how can this guy—call him Dr. Devil for lack of a better name—do this? He just seems to pop up, spread his virus, apparently cloaking himself so well that he can even perform surgery on someone—and then just…disappear so completely that even Omega, with all his vision powers, can't find any trace of him? Even teleporters and boom tube generators leave __some__ trace, some ionization of the atmosphere, __some__thing._

_Yet he did. How? There's gotta be something I'm overlooking….and it may be right in front of me…._

"Robin?" It was Starfire, at the doorway to his room. The walls were festooned with corkboards, which in turn were laden with police and newspaper reports, computer printouts, photographs, etc. On the desk in front of his chair was his personal laptop, already running, trying to find some correlation between the two cases that maybe he'd missed….

"Uh, yes, Star?" It was a measure of his….._determination,_ as he preferred to call it…that not only had he not heard her come in, he didn't take his eyes off the corkboards, as if simply staring at them could somehow make the answer coalesce in front of him. It took a lot not to look at Starfire.

"You are doing it again, beloved."

"Uhm. Doing what." Still staring at the corkboards.

She moved to where she was behind him, put her arms around him, and laid her head on his shoulder. Even though he'd grown some in the past couple of years, so had she, and she was still the taller of the two, slightly. Her sweet feminine fragrance washed over him. "You are doing the obsessing over this matter."

"A man's already died, Star. I don't want that to happen again. Worse, the one who did it is still out there, still free to do it again. I won't have that happen, not in my city. Not as long as I can draw breath."

She nuzzled his neck. He found it unnervingly distracting, bringing about thoughts of what they _could_ be doing…. "But you are missing something."

"Yeah, I know, that's why I-*"

"Think, Robin: this person obviously seeks to produce more enhanced human beings like Kitten, no? Yet his last attempt was a complete failure, resulting in the death of his subject. He is not likely to re-infect someone with a virus which failed so catastrophically last time, now is he?"

Robin looked around at her, no small feat considering that their faces were so close, in amazement. Never let it be said that Starfire didn't possess a brain beneath that beautiful exterior. "Of—of course. He won't try again until he perfects his virus."

"Which gives you time to pursue other….more pleasurable, but no less necessary…pursuits, does it not?" And she led him away to her room…..

But later, lying beside her in bed, he couldn't help but wonder: how could someone just pop up out of nowhere, and then vanish again? _How?_

….

New Zealand: Blackfire, in disguise, of course, was sitting at an outdoor café down the street a little ways from the hotel where Gar and Terra were staying, when she heard a coarse male voice behind her say, "Hey, Cutie. Buy you a drink?"

She turned around to tell the man just exactly what he could do with his drink, when she noticed that the speaker was, in fact, a tall, Amazonian woman with snow-white skin and hair, wearing a silver-and-black uniform and a wide smirk on her face. "Athena!" She grabbed her friend in a hug that would've broken a human's bones.

"I am glad to see you, too, my friend. I thought I'd drop by to check on things—well, okay, I actually came over specifically to see you. And, yes, while I was here, to see how things were going." The Osiran girl took a seat at the same table as her friend. She nodded towards the hotel where Gar and Terra had their room. "Everything going okay with the newlyweds?"

"Well, I don't have your senses, which is probably a good thing, but from what I can tell, yeah, everything's been pretty quiet. Out here, at least." She shrugged. "I've been keeping my distance, since I didn't want them to recognize me—you know, even if someone _looks_ different, sometimes you can recognize them just by the way they walk, or move—but a few times, I've gone in for a little closer reconnaissance, and everything seems to be alright. They don't appear to have left that room for the past couple of days, and the hotel maître d' tells me they've been having everything sent up: meals, supplies, everything. _Vegetarian_ meals, of course. And garbage bagged and left out in the hallway to be taken out. But they haven't taken advantage of the hotel's pick-up and delivery laundry service, so I'm guessing their clothes must still be in good shape." She smiled a naughty smile. "They must not be wearing them all that much. And no in-room cleaning service; in fact, the 'do not disturb' sign seems to be permanently posted on their door. So I'm guessing they're okay."

"So no one's actually _seen _them in all this time?" Athena gave Blackfire a look. "Do you think," she began, "that I ought to, to scan them, just briefly, just to make sure, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that they are okay?" Blackfire doubted that there was anybody on the entire planet who'd have less of a prurient desire to peek into that hotel room.

"Weellllllll," she glanced up at the sun. "It's mid-morning; they're _probably_ both still asleep. Guess it couldn't hurt anything to just make sure they're both okay, and nobody's sneaked in on them and done something horrible. Yeah, go ahead."

Athena concentrated her gaze on the hotel room across the street and down the way a bit. Almost immediately, she looked away, small patches of silver appearing on her cheeks. "Uhm. It seems that I caught them at a…_most _inopportune moment. At least one of them appears to be a morning person, and she is definitely getting in her exercise. But, yes, they both seem to be in satisfactory, if not extraordinary, condition. I can detect no danger, damage, or change of status to either of them."

Blackfire grinned. It was fun and sorta cool to see Athena embarrassed like this. She wondered, if Athena were discomfited enough, if she'd be able to see her reflection on the Osiran's cheekbones. And she'd noticed that whenever Athena got embarrassed over something, she reverted to that "precise" mode of speech. Omega did, too, albeit to a lesser degree. "So they're enjoying themselves?"

"Technically, they are enjoying each other, but yes, that is one way of framing it, I suppose."

"Well, anyway." Fun's fun, but…. "How goes it back in Jump City?"

"Robin has entered his 'obsession mode,' as Raven calls it, regarding the death of Marcus Jordan. When I left, I noticed Starfire marching rather determinedly towards his room. I've little doubt but that she intended to break him out of that mood. Nor can I think of anyone better qualified to do so."

Blackfire nodded. "I don't doubt it. And if I know my sister, she and Robin are even now doing the same thing Gar and Terra are. Matters like these, relationships, she takes seriously. And I'm sure she wouldn't want Robin to have a brain meltdown. But anyway." She sighed and looked away. This part of this planet _was_ lovely.

"Well, I am probably needed back in Jump City. Do you need anything, over here?"

_Just your company,_ thought Blackfire, but of course, refrained from saying it. She knew they both had duties to perform. And that was a novel thing for the former villainess: before, she'd never really had the notion of _duty,_ of needing to put what was needed of her over her own desires. It felt…strangely good, in a way. Rather like deferred gratification, maybe? "Don't guess so. I'll hang around 'till Robin says otherwise. And he's right: this is exactly the time some supervillain Gar or Terra's put away to strike. Good thing Slade's dead; he'd have already been here by now. But now I'm on the lookout for somebody like Mumbo Jumbo or something. And I hate magic."

"I agree with you there. Blackfire," there was something in Athena's tone of voice that made her look around. "I am curious. You know Angelique's story, do you not?"

"I read her file. Taken from her mother by some perverts when she was six. Got away from them. Found by the Kindred. Worked for Slade. Now one of our most powerful members."

"Why would those men have taken her from her mother?"

Blackfire rubbed the side of her face. "Uh, Athena? How, how much do you know about human sexuality?"

"Not much more than I do of Osiran sexuality. Only about…males and females….and why the two are different."

"Well, it seems some men like to do that with…children."

There was a long pause from the other side of the table. Then, "Do they, now?" Athena had been resting her hand on the wrought-iron tabletop; now she clenched her fingers together. There was a metallic creaking sound. Blackfire had a strong hunch that table would never be quite the same again.

"Uhm, yes." Then something registered. "Athena? Didn't I once hear Omega say that Osiran society was completely desexualized?"

Again a hesitation. "Not….entirely, as it turns out."

"Oh?"

"Yes. It seems the Lord I served, the Lord Natal, had….rediscovered sex, and its pleasurable aspects. He therefore conditioned his female warriors in order to…make use of them, whensoever he wished. I was one of them." Neither Athena's face nor voice betrayed any hint of emotional anguish, but Blackfire knew her well enough to know it was there. Her jaw dropped.

"Athena. You mean to tell me you were _raped?_"

"It would seem so. Though you understand, my sisters and I were so thoroughly conditioned that we could scarcely _wait_ to be made use of, so I suppose in that sense it could hardly be described as nonconsensual. But yes, in the sense that we did not voluntarily agree to the act of our own free will….yes. Many, many times."

"You…I mean, how….what…" Blackfire gathered her thoughts. "Does Omega know?"

"He does now. He didn't then. For that matter, even I didn't really know, at the time, nor did I when I first came to Earth, due to the conditioning process. But when he and the Kindred were able to break the Lord's conditioning, then the memories were…they came back." Blackfire could see her friend's face contort slightly, indicating even stronger emotion just beneath the surface. "I…remember now. I am…having some difficulty with the memories."

Blackfire got up and went around the table, putting her arms around her friend. "Oh, I'm sorry, Athena!"

"For what? _You_ did nothing."

"I'm sorry it _happened_ to you, that's what! I, I can't even imagine what it must've been like…for you."

"Well," replied Athena, dryly, still with her arms around Blackfire, "it was not a trip to Chuck E. Cheese's."

_To be continued…_


	5. Chapter 5: Compromises

Tales of the Titans: Crucible, Chapter 5: Compromises

Back at the Tower: Starfire and Robin were still cocooned in her room, with Raven wandering the halls morosely. She wasn't really worried about the detective aspect; that was Robin's job. And, even though it could be argued he wasn't doing that right now, she had every confidence that he would untangle the knot that this case had become. He had always come through before; he would this time, too.

Now if she could just untangle the knot her _emotional_ life had become….

She'd been deliberately avoiding Hank for a while now, out of pure guilt. After all, he was her "official boyfriend," but here she was, secretly desiring another. And, to make matters even _more_ "interesting", now that self-same "another" was married to someone else….not to mention the fact that he was her half-brother.

She sighed, silently. What could one expect, from someone who was half demon? Could this situation be any _more_ messed up? She didn't see how. It was like something out of a bad romance novel.

Make that a bad _paranormal_ romance novel.

She was so engrossed in her own misery that she didn't even see him until he was right in front of her. "Hi, Rae. Long time no see."

"Uhm! Oh, uhm, hi, uhm, uh, I mean…"

"Hank. The name's Hank."

She blushed. "I _know_ your _name,_ silly. It's just…you surprised me, that's all."

"Oh. Well, uhm. Sorry about that," he replied in a tone of voice that said he really wasn't.

"Yes, well, uhm, I'll be going to my room now…" She made as though to go down the hallway.

"Raven?" She turned. "Your room's right here." He pointed to the door.

"Oh! Right! Guess I'm…preoccupied." She went to her door, opening it.

"Raven? Is there anything we need to talk about?"

She half-turned, her door open, trying desperately to keep the fear out of her voice. "Like…like what?"

"Like about us, maybe?"

Raven closed her eyes and rested her head momentarily against the doorjamb. _Might as well get it over with._ "Yes, Hank, there is. Come on in."

Once in, and seated on her couch, she sought the words. They didn't come easily; she wasn't altogether sure just what she even wanted to convey. "Hank, I….please understand, this isn't about you. It's….me."

"Ah." His tone of voice indicated that he could see what was coming next. There is a fifth dimension which is unfortunately altogether too well known to man. It is a dimension as vast as space and as heartless as infinity. It is the middle ground between sunlight and shadow, between one moment and the next, and it lies deep within the pit of man's fears, far removed from the summit of his hopes and dreams. This is the dimension you eternally hope will remain the dimension of imagination, and imagination only. It is an area which we call…The Friend Zone.

"For some time now, I—I've had these, these _feelings_—for, for someone else. It has nothing to do with you," she hastened to add, "you've been…wonderful. The problem is _me._ I've had these sometimes almost overpowering feelings for…someone else."

He nodded. "Garfield. I know."

She stared. "You _know_? Have I been _that_ obvious?"

He shook his head, leaning back against the couch. "No, not really. But I've seen the looks you've been giving the two of them, when they go down the hallways, hand in hand. And I've noticed the looks you've been giving _him, _especially when you thought nobody was looking. And, at the wedding, just after, I passed by the women's rest room downstairs. I heard you sobbing. I so wanted to rush into the room, hold you. But I had a hunch mine weren't the arms you wanted around you, right then."

She colored, not looking at him. "I've made a fool of myself."

"No. You've made a human being of yourself."

"Hank. You don't understand. You _can't._" And she told him about her experiences—in full—in the other universe, with the Osirans there and the Entity. "And I _thought_ I had outgrown those feelings. It appears I haven't, at least not totally. I mean, he's my _half-brother,_ for Azar's sake. I, I shouldn't be feeling this way. It _shames_ me." She sighed. "I guess that's why I've been…avoiding you. If there was a prize for being messed up…I'd win, hands down.

"So you see, it really _has_ got nothing to do with you. The problem's with me. And…I honestly don't know what to do about that."

"So where do we go from here?"

"'We'? You mean, us? As in, you and I?"

"Well, yeah. The past is the past. Can't change it. So what do we do now?"

"What do you _want _to do?"

"If I told you _that,_ I'd probably get my face slapped. But Raven…it all comes down to how _you_ feel. How _I_ feel hasn't changed one iota."

"Oh come on. Here I am, a demon sorceress who's in love, or at least in lust, with someone else. And that 'someone else' is not only my half-sibling, but married, to boot. Hank," and she turned to him, "I don't want you to feel like you're Mr. Second Choice. You deserve better than that. You deserve better than me."

Hank was silent for a while. Then, "Raven? Can I tell you how I feel about all that?"

"Sure. G-go ahead." She was beginning to feel tears coming, and she didn't have a tissue handy….

"Okay. Let's take it from the start. These feelings you've had for Garfield….Rae, sometimes we aren't fully in control of our emotions. That's just human nature. Has nothing to do with any demonic heritage. We're all that way.

"And you and Garfield do have a bond. Have had ever since I've known you, and, I'll bet, probably long before. It's kinda natural to be attracted to someone you've a bond with. You trust them. You're more at ease around them. It's perfectly normal to develop feelings for someone like that.

"And as for the sibling thing….Rae, you two were raised apart, in completely different environments. Neither of you even knew the other existed until a few years ago. Now, had you been raised in the same household, that would be a little….uhm, awkward, but you _weren't._ As far as your _emotions_ go, you two were complete strangers until you met, not long ago. And I don't see how I can be anything _but_ okay with that. I mean, it just _is._

"And as for being 'Mr. Second Choice,' Rae, anybody who's got any age to 'em…there's always somebody in their past. Maybe their immediate past. Maybe it's the girl—or guy—you kissed under the mistletoe at Christmas when you were ten, or the one who slipped you a handmade Valentine's Day card during study hall in seventh grade…or it might be the one who just shot you down last week. And not always in the past. It could even be your ex, whom you never quite got over. Doesn't matter. Whoever you're with, whoever you choose, is Mr. Number One Choice. Or, you know, Ms. Number One Choice. It doesn't have to be a 'first love' thing; in fact, from what I've gathered, from my own experience and those of others I've talked to, 'first love' _seldom _works out. It's more like a 'now love' thing. Who you love _now._ And sometimes, that's who you _choose_ to love. Yes, love can be a choice. Why not? Otherwise, we'd all be slaves to our emotions, drawn to this person, then drawn to that, willy-nilly.

"But tell me. And here, I'm just asking as a friend, mind you, just somebody you know and I hope kinda trust—you can be honest with me, if you want, and I hope you are….suppose, just suppose, that Terra was still a stone statue, or, or, had never come along at all. And suppose you and Garfield _had_ gotten together, _had_ become an item. What do you suppose would've happened, in that situation? What would you _foresee _as happening, so to speak?"

Raven thought long and hard. Then longer and harder. Then, "I—I think I see what you're saying. We're just too different. He's the Jokester, I'm Madame Superserious. The myth about 'opposites attract'…is just that. Yeah, we might've had a few good times together, but, but you _have_ to have _some_thing in common with your, with your romantic partner for it to last, to grow. And, and really, we…just don't. We function fine as teammates, as friends, best friends, even, even as, as the siblings we didn't know we were, but…. The most I can see it coming to would've been…maybe a couple of one-night stands. And then there would've been _that_ between us. So, yeah, I see what you're saying." She paused, looking down. "I, I just don't want you to feel like, you know, 'Mr. Settled-For.'" She turned her face away from him, embarrassed.

He curled a finger under her chin and turned it back. "Raven. I really think you're more afraid of how you _think _I'd feel than how I really feel. I don't, and never have, felt that way. And never will. But even if I did—which I don't-…you're more than worth it."

"I wish I felt that way."

"Raven. How do you feel about me?"

Raven paused. This was the sixty-four thousand dollar question, wasn't it? "How do I feel about you? I, I love you, it's just….."

"Yes?"

"I, I just feel you deserve better…."

He looked at her with love. "You do realize, don't you, that when you say that, you're devaluing _me,_ right?"

"What? But I—no, that's not what I meant at all-*"

"You're basically saying I'm so desperate or whatever that I'll settle for substandard goods. And Raven: you are ANYthing but substandard. If anything, you're _super_standard."

"How can you possibly say that? I'm, I'm…plain, and, and…"

"Well, let's see: you're intelligent, highly educated, powerful, accomplished—how many people can say they really did save the world?—would do literally anything for your friends and teammates—and you have friends and teammates who'd do literally anything for _you._ Don't you think that says something about you? And, just for the record, _I_ happen to think you're drop-dead beautiful."

"You—you're just saying that…."

"You're the empath. Am I really 'just saying that'?"

She looked him right in the eyes. "No. You…you really mean it."

"So come on. Accept the fact that you are not only lovely, but loved, as well. Now, enough of all this. Come here…" And he brought her head up facing his….

The kiss lasted a long, long time, and was followed by another. And another. During which every light fixture on that floor blew out. Later on, neither of them could really say who was responsible…..

Some time later, Raven would reflect to herself, well, that's certainly _one_ thing we have in common.

…

Athena returned to the small room she shared with Blackfire. Somehow, it seemed…emptier than normal without the Tameranean. Emptier without being larger. Blackfire was just so full of _life._ Not a week went by but what she wasn't doing something just a little crazy.

There was a box just outside her door. She bent down to pick it up; it appeared to be a perfectly ordinary USPS delivery box….except there was no return address.

Nor was there any name as to who it could be to. Just "Titans' Tower, Room 2111b." That was her room, but Blackfire was also staying there.

Suspicious, she scanned the box with her senses, taking care to examine it down to the molecular level and even beyond. Everything seemed perfectly innocuous…

She took it into her room and opened it. Inside was a single solid gold rose, with its own crystal stand. There was a card: "From your secret admirer," in delicate, elegant, cursive handwriting.

Athena was mightily puzzled…until it occurred to her: there was only one person she could think of who would send her this rose, which she understood to be a gesture of _affection._ So she called Blackfire, on the other side of the world. "Blackfire? I got your package. Thank you."

"_Package? What package?"_

"The golden rose. It arrived today."

"_Uhm, Athena? I, uh, I haven't sent any packages to anyone. You're sure it's from me?"_

"Well, there's no return address, but it's addressed to our room. I suppose it could have been intended for you."

"_Was there a note or anything?"_

"Just one. It says, 'From your secret admirer.'"

"_I know you checked it for possible booby traps."_

"Yes. Before I opened it. There were none, nor were there any microbial or nanobot traps. And no fingerprints, either."

"_Huh. So….it could have been intended for either of us?"_

"I suppose. The address on the box simply says, 'Titans' Tower, Room 2111b'. That's all."

"_Well…that's a mystery. I don't know anybody who'd send __me__ a gold rose. I'm flattered that you think it came from me, but I would've at least addressed it to you—wait. Last time we convened, in the H.I.V.E. Five, I definitely noticed Johnny Rancid checking __you__ out. But so was Billy Numerous….and they're both in prison. Not that easy to send anything anonymously from stir. Nor do they know our address…I dunno, 'Thena. Anybody else you can think of, who might've sent one of us a golden rose?"_

"I am, frankly, unfamiliar with many such Earth customs, but I cannot think of anyone. But what of this Lobo person I've heard you mention?"

"_He's more the 'case of beer' type than the 'golden rose' type. And he sure would've signed his name. So it's a mystery. Huh. Maybe you better tell Robin. This might have some bearing on what he's working on."_

"I shall. Farewell, then. I will be in touch."

"_Likewise. Hugs."_ And they broke the connection.

Athena carried the golden rose down to Starfire's room. She hated to interrupt Robin and Starfire's mating process, but Blackfire was right: this box had just _appeared_, out of nowhere, just like the mutated mosquitoes they were even now looking for. There almost had to be a connection.

She hesitated before signaling for entrance, when the door opened, to reveal Robin about to emerge. When he saw her, he immediately tried to act nonchalant, as though he were just coming out of his own room. "Ah, Athena. I was, uhm, just about to, to check in with you. The, the newlyweds doing okay?" Behind him, Athena could see a still-conked-out Starfire, still asleep in her bed. Robin had covered her up before he left, but it was still perfectly clear she was nude beneath the sheets. Athena smiled inwardly, careful not to let the expression reach her face. Sometimes humans could be so…uptight. So much in denial about their true feelings…not, she guessed, that she was anyone to talk. "I came by to show you this. It was just outside the door to my room." And she showed him the box, the note, and its contents.

Robin studiously examined the box. "Hm. No postal markings. It's a good _imitation _of a USPS box, but that's what it is: an imitation. And you checked it for fingerprints, microscopic debris, nanobots, the whole works?"

"Yes, Robin. In light of our recent mysteries, I made every check I could have. I found nothing of note."

Starfire opened the door behind them, her hair tousled from their recent exertions, now clad in a purple robe she was just then closing. (Athena thought it somewhat remarkable that the Tameranean princess could still manage to look so good even _with_ tousled hair.) Robin showed her the box, with its contents and the note, and told her what Athena had said. "It's the box itself that's the real message."

"Indeed," she said, looking at the golden rose. "What do you believe it to be saying?"

"Maybe our unseen adversary is taunting us, showing us what he can do."

"There is another explanation, beloved."

"Oh? What?" He was intrigued. Starfire was way more intelligent that many people realized, and he'd come to respect that.

"As you say, the box _could_ be from our adversary, a taunt. But in the past, he has struck ruthlessly, mercilessly, without warning. This box _could_ be a message from someone else, someone in his organization, a warning. That it is a warning from him, our enemy, directly, would not be in keeping with his past behavior, no? But, either way, it _is_ a clear message."

"What message?" Though Athena already pretty well knew what the message would be.

"Simple." Robin was grim. "The Tower's compromised. We're no longer safe here."

_To be continued…_


	6. Chapter 6:Attacks

Tales of the Titans: Crucible, Chapter 6: Attacks

"You're sure of the way?" Robin asked Kitten, as they flew over the city in their various vehicles, those that needed them. "Sensors don't read anything out this way."

"I'm sure. And it's about the most heavily shielded place I know of. It makes Fort Knox look like a sidewalk candy store."

They came to the side of a mountain. Kitten pressed a remote, very like a standard garage door opener, and, with a rumbling, grating, rock-upon-rock sound, a massive door opened in the seemingly solid mountainside. "In here." She led them into the interior, and down underground a ways into a vast, cavernous room, studded with stalactites overhead, with row upon row of high-end computers and other, less easily identifiable machinery banked around the room. "And you say this was _Slade's_ old lair?"Robin asked, incredulously, even as Kitten powered up the lights and computers.

"Actually, it was his _new_ lair. I understand the Kindred sorta appropriated his old one. So he had to move his digs into here. Not too shabby. And behind a naturally occurring strata of magnetite, which helps throw off sensors, of course. The equipment in here has to be specially shielded against it, but it works."

Robin looked around in awe. The very lair of the man he'd hunted for so long….was now theirs. "And you're sure Slade's dead?"

"As sure as I can be without seeing a body. But wait, there's something I gotta check on. She flew her platform, there being room enough in this part of the complex, over to the hanger section. There: the minijet she'd returned on. She climbed up into the cockpit and looked inside.

The box she'd stolen from the secret Vatican archives was gone. Inwardly, she was relieved. She didn't know what it was designed to do, but from what the Entity had hinted, she thought ignorance just might be bliss in this case. The human mind is often very adept at coming up with some pretty nasty things, and she couldn't help but remember the _thing_ she'd somehow released when she'd liberated the dingus the Entity wanted. How it had somehow _followed_ her to that other world…..and just what _was_ it, anyway?

Something nagged at the back of her mind just then, but there was no time to pursue it.

The others were looking around in open-mouthed awe. Starfire was flying up to the roof of the cavern, looking the place over from the air. Cyborg and Hank, along with Robin, took to checking the various machines, all of which appeared to be in good working shape. Even Raven, normally the least technologically oriented of the group seemed fascinated by all the serious technological furnishings to the cavern.

Robin joined Kitten at the minijet. "This is where it was?" He pointed to the cockpit's floor, just behind the seat.

"Yeah. I guess the Entity took it. Figures. I was supposed to deliver it to him, but he had to have had access to this place to get to Slade. From the hints he dropped, it's just as good he did."

"If he was telling the truth."

"Well, Robin, so far, overall, he's seemed to have played pretty fair with us. Actually, they both have, except for Typhon's trying to murder Raven. I don't think it's a good idea to get either of them mad at us, though."

"God, no. Considering what we've seen them do, just battling each other." He squared up, looking around. "So you're convinced this place is secure?"

"Well, _you_ didn't find it, and I wouldn't have, except the minijet's autopilot was already programmed to return to this place. Oh, and by the way, there's some Slade-bots in storage. I'll show 'em to you later. For now, let me show you the living quarters….."

Back at the Tower, Athena was preparing for her usual nighttime ritual: clean the room, then sit on the floor, in her usual heel-sitting stance, and prepare for entering her meditative state. It had been decided that they needed to leave a least one person in the Tower itself, to give the impression that it was still inhabited; Athena and Omega, still down in his underground lab, as the most invulnerable members of the group, were the obvious choices. Somebody signaled for entrance.

Surprised, Athena opened the door, and saw a sight that almost stopped her hearts: Blackfire standing outside. "Blackfire? What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be in New Zealand?"

"I heard you and Omega were gonna stand guard here, in case that rose was a prelude to an attack. So here I am."

Athena shook her head. "You should not be here. The next thing to appear might be a swarm of deadly mosquitoes. Omega and I are invulnerable; you have some degree of invulnerability but it may not be enough. You could be…hurt." The notion that her friend might be hurt in the same way that Marcus Jordan had been "hurt" brought a great fear to Athena's hearts; they seemed to spin a little faster at the thought. No. Blackfire could definitely _not_ stay here.

But Blackfire moved forward and put her duffel bag back in the room. "I checked with Robin first. He said it was okay; nothing seems to be happening in New Zealand. I really hope nothing does. So I'll check on them periodically. And Omega's said he'll check in on them himself, as often as he can. But Athena….you're placing too much confidence in your own invulnerability. This creep may have weapons or at least devices that could harm even you."

Well. "That may be true, but it does not lessen the danger to _you._"

"Well, maybe so. But there's an Earth saying: 'two heads are better than one.' I can at least guard your back."

Now Athena hugged the Tameranean girl to herself. "I still do not wish to expose you to danger. I….I would not like it if you were to be…hurt."

"I've got less of a chance of that here with you than anywhere else. Besides, this guy can apparently get his mutated mosquitoes in any place so easily, that simply being somewhere else won't matter. He could strike anywhere. So just being away from the Tower doesn't automatically guarantee safety; he or somebody apparently knows how to find us anyway."

Athena was silent. Then, "Well, I see you are determined. Short of physical force I cannot dissuade you. I guess one good thing about is, with the Tower virtually depopulated, you don't have to share this small room with me. You could have any of the penthouses; they are empty and available, at least for now."

Blackfire shook her head, leaning there against Athena. "Wherever you are, that's where I wanna be."

Later that night, Omega was in his laboratory, carefully scanning the Sterilized Systems. As Talks to God had said, there was no sign that life had ever been there, yet the systems were perfect for the formation of life of some sort. Of course, it was statistically possible that they had just never produced any life, but somehow he doubted that.

What, he wondered, could clean an entire star system, and not just one, but many, so thoroughly that no trace of life was left?

And was it coming _here_?

Upstairs: Blackfire had prepared for bed, wearing a Tameranean outfit that closely resembled Earthly pajamas: loose fitting, comfortable, and a restful shade of blue, with elastic closings around the wrists and ankles, clearly designed for free-fall. Athena prepared to assume her standard kneeling posture on the floor. "Athena?"

"Yes, Blackfire?"

"I, uhm. Have a..would you do a favor for me?"

"If I can, certainly. What do you wish?"

"You can enter your meditative state from any position, right?"

"Yes." Puzzled.

"Would…would you lie up here with me? On this bed?"

Athena eyed the bed in question. "There is barely enough room for you. Wouldn't that make you uncomfortable?"

"Really, it wouldn't. I…I just would like to be…close to you. Now, for a little while. Physically close, I mean."

"Well, I….suppose I can do that." And Athena levitated over the small bed and gently, ever so gently, lowered herself onto it, right beside her friend. "Though it puzzles me greatly as to why you desire this."

Blackfire snuggled closely to Athena, throwing her arm over her. "Athena, it—it's just that you're about the best friend I've ever had, and I just want to, to soak up being close to you, even if it's just for a little while. That sounds awkward, the way I put it, but…"

Athena smiled at the other girl. "No. It does not sound awkward. I, too, desire your company. But for now, you need your sleep. I will be awake and alert, but meditating. So, sleep now, my friend. I will be here." And she stroked Blackfire's hair.

Blackfire fell asleep almost instantly.

…..

In an Osiran warrior's meditative state, that warrior is not asleep, nor is his or her focus distracted, as some might suppose. Osiran warriors do not sleep, and, in that meditative state, are fully aware of everything that goes on around them. So when the sound came, Athena, with her hearing, noticed it instantly.

It was the tiny buzzing squeal of a mosquito.

She gently began to disengage herself from Blackfire, who'd come to be sort of wrapped around her during the night, almost as if Athena were a living teddy bear. Athena had heard of the Earth custom of giving their young stuffed anthropomorphic animals to sleep with. As usual, like so many other Earth customs, it made little sense to her.

"Huh? Whozzat?" Blackfire responded sleepily, yawning.

"Sh. I hear a mosquito."

Blackfire came instantly awake. "Where?"

"I cannot pinpoint it yet….but it seems to be coming from…upstairs and down the hallway." The two emerged from Athena's room, and, rather than take the elevator, took the stairs up to the third floor. There; Athena's super hearing pinpointed the shrill whine of the mosquito….right….down….

"It's coming from Beast Boy and Terra's room." She turned to her companion. "Perhaps you'd best stay here. I shall go trap the creature and see if it carries the plague."

"No way." Blackfire would never be able to say, later, just how she knew what she knew, but…."If you go down there, _you'll_ be the one trapped."

"What? How do you know?"

"I just do. Call it a hunch or an instinct….but this is just too perfect a setup. First the rose, then the mosquito…right on schedule." She frowned. "And it's coming from the room of one of the only Titans human enough to be sure to be affected by the plague: Terra. Except…whoever is doing this seems to know exactly where we are, no matter what. He knew our address, and that's not public knowledge. It's almost a dead solid certainty he knows Gar and Terra are on their honeymoon. I'll make you a bet: use your senses from here. I'll bet that mosquito is loaded with some kind of virus."

Athena focused her senses on the tine whine she was hearing. Blackfire was right; the mosquito was carrying a virus. But not the retrovirus that had so altered Kitten and killed Marcus Jordan. No, this was standard Ebola. She reported this to Blackfire. "It's a loaded gun, then," responded the latter, "a death trap, pointed directly towards at least one, maybe two, of our team members. A clear threat."

"I must go remove it."

But Blackfire clutched at her. "_No,_ Athena! Don't you see? That's _exactly_ what he wants you to do! The only thing you _can_ do, in this situation! So therefore, it's the one thing you _mustn't_ do! But you need to Link to Omega, tell him about this. He needs to check on Gar and Terra; he can tube there a whole lot faster than I can fly, or I'd do it myself. While I sort of doubt it—this is too clearly aimed at somebody with super-hearing, like you or Omega—our perp may be threatening them in some way, even as we speak."

"Very well; I will take your advice." Within a moment, Athena heard the muted thunder that signified a boom tube in operation. "Still, I must destroy that creature, but I hate to do so without analyzing it first. It could contain valuable information about our adversary."

But Blackfire just shook her head. "Trust me, as a former villain myself, it won't contain anything of value. It's basically on a suicide mission anyway; how many mosquitoes that bite somebody end up slapped? So it won't contain anything but this virus. I understand it's extremely deadly to humans; you do need to destroy it, I admit."

"Exactly." She moved down the hallway. "But I need a clear shot. I'll open the door, vaporize it, then close it again. It won't even take a second." But Blackfire was still tense.

Athena poised at the door to Gar's and Terra's room, then, in a motion so fast that the human eye could barely see it, opened the door, focused her heat vision on a nearly-invisible pinpoint on the other side of the room, and closed it again.

And Blackfire _lunged_ at her, using all of her strength to knock Athena out of the way….

Even Athena's senses barely had time to register, as it seemed that, immediately behind where she had been standing, a _mouth_ had opened in empty space, a mouth that closed around the space where she'd been standing only a moment before…

And Blackfire curled up in agony, clutching her right foot. Alarmed, Athena turned her attention to the Tameranean…

…whose right heel was missing.

_To be continued…_


	7. Chapter 7: Masks

_I don't own the Teen Titans._

_Please read and review!_

Tales of the Titans: Crucible, Chapter 7: Masks

"Robin? Athena. Is Starfire available?"

"Yes." He sensed the tension in the warrior's voice. "Is something wrong?"

"You might say that." Starfire came on. "Yes, Athena?"

"I need to know something about treating Tameraneans. Specifically for loss of body parts."

"_What?_ Is-*" She caught herself. "Is—is there a problem?" It seemed to Starfire that she could hear a faint moaning in the background of the call.

"Yes. What anesthetics are appropriate? And in what dosage?"

"But what is-*"

"Excuse me, but there is no time. All questions will have to wait. Can you tell me what I need to know?"

Athena closed the call, and rummaged around the infirmary for the anesthetics and antibiotics Starfire had described. Loaded a hypospray and injected the contents into Blackfire's arm. Blackfire moaned some more. "Told…told you…it was…trap…."

"And you were absolutely right. Now hush, let these painkillers work. Rest." And Blackfire passed completely out.

So she wasn't awake to see Athena's normally self-controlled countenance twist into a mask of fury. This had become personal.

…

Raven teleported in, phasing in from a dark circle that formed on the wall itself. Almost at once, she recoiled. "Athena! Ramp it down a little!"

What was she talking about? Oh. Right. Her emotions. "I am…sorry, Raven." Athena struggled to control herself. As Omega had found out, it wasn't such an easy task. But she was able to calm down enough to where Raven could cross over to the bed where Blackfire lay, unconscious now, from the painkillers. "What happened?"

"Our adversary set a trap. An infected mosquito in Beast Boy and Terra's room. When I went to destroy it, he very nearly succeeded in either destroying or trapping me, by means of some sort of dimensional gate. Blackfire knocked me out of the way just in time, but, evidently didn't get completely out of the way herself. The heel of her foot…was caught in the gate when it closed."

Raven examined the wound. It was clean, a clean shear, much finer than any scalpel could have done. Athena had bandaged the wound, but it still bled copiously. While Raven reported to Robin what had happened, Athena communed with both the Orb and Omega. {{Then we are agreed?}}

{{**Yes, Athena. I am sorry for the wounding of your friend. It happened too fast for me to act. But perhaps I can be of assistance there. I will be able to regrow the lost portion, if she will let me.**}}

{{I am sure she will, Orb. And thank you.}}

{{**It is surely the least I can do.**}}

{{It was not your fault, Orb. Our adversary is...very cunning. None of us, except Blackfire herself, saw this coming. Do not blame yourself.}} Athena Linked to Omega, who in turn Linked with Alpha, who concurred. {{Indeed. Your—make that _our—_adversary has mastered a technique we thought so impossible, or at least difficult, that we abandoned it, long ago, in favor of what, to us, were more practical methods. But if this is so, then no place in the entire universe is safe from him.}}

"Raven," said Athena, drawing the attention of the sorceress, "Please report to Robin: we know how our enemy is getting into and out of places so secretly. But if we are correct—and, with the concurrence of the Orb, Alpha, and Omega, it seems highly probable—then your current location provides no real security after all."

…

"Okay," began Robin. They were once again seated around the conference table; a solidogram of Alpha and a part of the Orb were also in attendance. "How does he do it?"

"You know your universe consists of many dimensions, do you not?" Athena was as matter-of-fact as she could be, with her emotions broiling, barely beneath the surface. Raven shifted uneasily. "Eleven, actually. But the only 'useful' ones are the ones you perceive: the three spatial dimensions and the one of time. The remaining seven are curled, you might say, into tiny, subatomic vortices. But they are there. Our adversary has found a way to make use of that. Evidently, he 'uncurls' one as needed, then allows it to snap back to its original state."

"So where is he?"

Athena shook her head. "That I cannot tell you. But I can tell you this: in order to make use of these naturally occurring extradimensional gates, he _must_ be using some form of force or energy from hypertime, hyperspace. That is the only way he can open these gates without alerting either Omega or myself. Wormholes, boom tubes….they all utilize some form of force acting, at least partially, in the dimensions we know. But the power he uses to open these gates functions in a region beyond our senses."

Robin thought. "Okay. We have two things: one, we know his weapon of choice: biological warfare. Two, now we know his delivery system. Is there any way of setting up any kind of, of early warning systems, when one of these subatomic dimensions begins to 'uncurl'?"

"Not as early as you'd like," stated Alpha's solidogram. "We can detect when such a gate is opened, but only when it is opened. At least, at present. There may be ways to probe hyperspace itself…." He took on a faraway look, and Robin knew he was not only thinking, himself, but was also utilizing the vast computing power of the Kindred computers via the matrix. "There may be a way…the problem with hyperspace is, it is never still, but ever changing. Currents, for lack of a better term, flow one way, then another. And, it goes without saying, in more ways that what we might consider back and forth, left and right, up and down. But what we are looking for…is a specific, stable pattern of force…we may be able to come up with something. But it would hardly fall into the category of what you call an 'early warning' sensor. We would only be able to detect it virtually from the moment it is activated. But we would have some warning, albeit extraordinarily brief."

"Well, anything's better than nothing. Orb? Can you help us here?"

{{**As the one known as Alpha has said, the patterns of force would manifest themselves suddenly. But I can consult my future self for information; of course, my future self is under some limitations as to how much information it can provide, you understand.**}}

"Well, again, anything's better than nothing." He paused, thinking. "Is there any chance we could open the gate than almost swallowed Athena? It might take us to his headquarters."

"If capture was his intent," stated Alpha. "He might have set the trap to kill Athena, by teleporting only a part of her, as happened to Blackfire, only more so, thus killing her**. **If so, then there need not have been any meaningful destination for this gate."

"True." Robin chewed on a knuckle, a gesture his mentor would have found familiar. "But another thing: the rose, the deliberately placed mosquito….it could be this _was_ a trap, of sorts…by a potential ally. Someone on the inside of our opponent's organization. Someone who wanted to transport Athena, or, I guess, Blackfire, but more probably Athena, what with her superhearing, to some other place, not so much as a prisoner, but…for some other reason. That's a possibility we can't ignore. But that's not the way to bet."

Sitting at her place, at the end of the table, Athena was doing a slow burn. "Hardly a significant overture of friendship." Raven, sitting down a ways from her, pulled away, trying to resist the flood of emotions Athena was releasing. "Athena!"

Sitting by her, Omega reached under the table and took her hand. "Athena? Be calm. Be at peace." She started to yank her hand away from his; he couldn't _possibly _know what it was like to have someone you cared about so injured by some unseen, apparently uncaring enemy. Then she caught sight of Kitten, with her bright red skin and prehensile tail.

Maybe he _could._

He was talking in a low voice to her. "You are the master of your emotions. You have the power to control them; they are part of who you are, the same as your hands and feet. Feel how it is to calm yourself. Remember this." And he released her hand.

Alpha was speaking. "It may be possible to re-open that particular gate. In hyperspace, hypertime, the passage of what we call time often matters little. Things, and forces, can remain in effect long after they are released. But where it will lead to, that we cannot say."

"Then," said Robin grimly, "maybe it's time to take the battle to _him._ We've spent too much time _re_acting, rather than acting. I, frankly, am tired of that."

Soon, thanks in part to the Kindred's help, they had cobbled together a machine, there in the hallway that led to Athena's and Blackfire's room. It was not a small machine; it took up a good portion of the hallway, and the others had to squeeze around it to get by. "Okay," said Robin, "Here's the plan. Omega, you go through the portal, once we get it open. There's no doubt some sort of mechanism on the other side—wherever that 'other side' may be. If you can find it, and activate it, the rest of us can follow. Alpha? Worst case scenario: can we re-open this portal to get him back?"

"Barely. Providing, of course, that our adversary does not in some way prevent it."

"I guess there's always that risk. Omega? You ready?"

"Yes, Robin. Whenever you are."

"Alright. Alpha?"

"Activating portal." There was a slight hum, almost inaudible to human ears, as the Osiran-designed machinery began to operate….

…and, as before, it seemed like a _mouth_ opened in mid-air, a mouth that widened until it could accept a human-sized object….

…and before anyone, even Omega, could react, Athena leapt into the portal, which closed behind her, leaving only empty space where it had been.

The assembled Titans looked at each other.

_To be continued…_


	8. Chapter 8: Survival

_I don't own the Teen Titans._

Tales of the Titans: Crucible, Chapter 8: Survival

Athena found herself in a darkened place. A human being would have had no light sources to see by, but her senses penetrated the gloom. She was evidently in some sort of arena, or amphitheatre, with solid walls all around her. "Well, well," said a voice that seemed to come from all directions at once. "This _is_ an unexpected pleasure."

…..

"Alpha? How soon can this portal be activated again?"

"It will take only a few moments, Omega. But remember: time may pass at a different rate where Athena has gone. A few moments here may be months there. Or even years."

"But _why_ did she do that?" Kitten was as nervous as her namesake.

"Emotion," sighed Omega. "She clearly seeks vengeance for the wounding of her friend. I only hope she encounters nothing she can't handle. Given our adversary's proven abilities, that is a distinct possibility."

_There:_ "Well," said the disembodied voice. "This is a surprise. To what do I owe the honor of this visit?"

"As if you don't know." Athena had regained her footing instantly, casting about with her senses. There were a lot of force-fields about the place, wherever she was, that inhibited her senses. "You hurt my friend."

"_I_ hurt your friend? No. What are you talking about?"

"Do not try to, as the humans say, 'play innocent.' You set the trap by sending a gift labeled 'From your secret admirer.' Then, you sent an infected mosquito into the room of two of our members, requiring me to destroy it, then almost trapped me with one of your dimensional gates, did you not?"

"I would not hesitate to admit it if I had, but, actually, this is one instance where I am completely and wholly innocent. So an infected mosquito, one of _my_ mosquitoes, found its way into your tower? Laden with _my_ retrovirus?"

"Not with your retrovirus. Ebola. Simple, but deadly."

"Hm. It seems…crude, actually, though I do make use of specially tailored mosquitoes for my purposes. But in this case, neither object came from me."

"Who _are _you, anyway? I dislike speaking to one who is not there."

"You may call me Lucifer. And, to be honest, I am as much in the dark—forgive the awful pun—as to what happened to your friend as you are. She will live, will she not? The wound was not fatal, was it?" It might have been Athena's imagination, but the unseen speaker almost sounded sincerely concerned.

"She…will live, though she has been maimed. Why should this concern you?"

"I've no quarrel with you or your group at this point. In fact, one of my crowning achievements stands among you: Miss Van Cleer. In a peculiar way, I rather consider her almost my own daughter, as I am responsible for her present self."

"Well, then." Athena took a different approach. "If indeed you are not the perpetrator we seek…you've no reason not to assist us in this matter, do you?" Athena was still hoping for a clear shot at the unknown and unseen speaker. He may claim not to have been the one who'd hurt and maimed her friend, but, right then, Athena's churning emotions didn't really care.

"Not so fast. I am responsible for the retrovirus. I presume you know at least some of my goals."

"Perhaps you could clarify them for me." _Keep him talking, maybe get a lead on where whatever speaker system he's using is connected, trace the electrical currents, find __him._

"I'm not one of those types who's ego is such that he has to delineate and explain his master plan for world domination, or whatever foolishness he's enamored of, to the first super type who breaks into my complex. Besides. My time, and yours, for that matter, can be better spent at other endeavors. Now that you are, fortunately, here, I see no reason not to make good use of that intrusion."

"What do you mean?" And all of a sudden, Athena's world dropped out from under her.

There was no hope, no light in the entire universe. It was all futile; Blackfire would hate her, probably blaming her for the loss of her heel, the others would chastise her for disobeying orders, they would all laugh at her for being Natal's personal sex toy. There was no reason to go on, not if life held no meaning, no joy. Omega would have nothing to do with her; not only would he see her as some _thing_ Natal had used and then cast aside, he would never forgive her for trying her best to kill him when she first arrived. Raven would never forgive her, _could_ never forgive her, for her damning revelation of the book, the possession of which she'd sought so diligently to keep from becoming common knowledge, Kitten would hate her for the closeness she'd once shared with her lover, Robin and Starfire would consider her the undisciplined thing she was….

She fell to her knees, the sheer _awfulness_ of everything crashing down around her. How she desperately wished for just some calming word of encouragement, even though, on some level, she knew it would do no good….

"No," she moaned. "This…this feeling is not coming from me. _You_ are doing this!"

"Excellent, excellent. You are learning. Now. Let us see what you _do_ with these feelings."

Athena fought to her feet. Memories of the Lord Natal raping her flooded her mind. Was this all she was good for? A receptacle for someone's sex organ?

"No. I _know_ better than this. Perhaps I do not feel it, but I know it." She activated her heat vision, and at the same time, charged her _formet,_ preparing to unleash a beam of spatial distortion, more disruptive than any disintegrator beam. The heat beams flashed against the far wall, exploding the wall to reveal the intricate mechanisms behind it. She vaporized them, all the while aware that she might be destroying her only means of getting home. She didn't care. If she could just get her adversary….

"Good, good. I see you've managed to function in spite of the emotor. Let's try another setting…."

Suddenly, Athena became indescribably angry. Memories of her time in service to Natal again flooded her mind, but this time, the dominant emotion was fury. Just who did he think he was, anyway? And she remembered Blackfire, her friend, probably her dearest friend other than Omega himself, curling up into a ball of pain, after the dimensional gate had closed around the heel of her foot. Somebody's hearts would be torn from his chest cavity for that.

Again, the heat beams flashed outward, this time towards another section of the wall around her. Once again, that wall blew apart, the circuitry and machines behind it, exploding into flame, melting….

"Excellent! And now for something a little different…."

All of a sudden, Athena felt lighter than air. Everything was perfect. Everything had gone according to plan. She'd found the base of their nemesis, all she had to do now was get back and report. They could easily find him now, and capture him. Omega would be so happy that she'd found the one who'd hurt his friend….and who knew? Perhaps his gratitude might lead to something interesting. And the others would be so proud of her, surely they would never again think any less of her and would probably think a great deal more; Blackfire, finally healed of her wound, would be especially proud of her finding the one responsible for hurting her so quickly. She would fling her arms around her and….

_This, too, is not from me,_ Athena told herself. But this one was different: it was so attractive: all her fears and apprehensions—of which she now realized she had a great many-just melting away in this golden light…she wanted it to last, and last forever….

_This is a trap,_ she told herself. _Even more so than the others; there, I had reason to want it to end. I do not want this to end. But it __must__._ Now, her _formet_ came into play, blasting deeper into the walls of the complex, yet still only encountering unfeeling, uninformative machinery. _Where in the nine worlds could he be?_ Try as she might, she could not locate any one circuit or conduit leading to anything like any speakers or sound system; the voice appeared to be emanating from thin air itself.

"I think that will be all for now. Your friends are on their way. I hope you've learned from today's experience, Athena. It hasn't been pleasant, I know, but it's knowledge and experience you'll need in the dark days to come." And with that, the voice fell silent.

And Athena fell forward, as exhausted as if she'd fought a battle, a battle she'd barely survived.

_To be continued…_

_Please read and review!_


	9. Chapter 9: Information

Tales of the Titans: Crucible, Chapter 9: Information

"She's coming around."

Athena gradually opened her eyes. She'd never been what the humans call _drunk_, and, with her metabolism, never would be, but she guessed the aftereffects, what was called the _hangover,_ must feel something like this. Her whole body ached. But really, what had happened? She, herself, had taken no blow, suffered no injury…why did she hurt so? "What…what happened?"

Omega had moved the others back. Osirans mass so much more than humans, even a casual, glancing blow, a waved arm, not intended to do harm, could crush a human body into pulp. "Well, for starters, you disobeyed orders, and leaped into the gate. I can only guess your reasons, but it's probably a pretty good guess: revenge?"

She grimaced, holding her head. "You're right. It _is_ a pretty good guess." She sat up on the reinforced bed. The others, seeing that she was awake and in control, gathered in closer. "I, of course, will accept whatever disciplinary measures you deem appropriate, Robin."

"All that's for later, Athena. How are you feeling?"

"I have felt better." She noticed the window: it was nighttime. It had been daytime when they'd originally opened the gate. "How long have I been out?"

Omega sat on the side of her bed, alongside her. "About five hours."

"_Five hours?_"

"You were gone for three; it proved more difficult to re-open the gate that we anticipated—and essentially unconscious for about two. What happened to you, over there, Athena?"

Again she put a hand to her head, not that that would help any, but in an automatic gesture. "I am not completely sure. But I found our adversary. One of them, at least. He calls himself Lucifer." She went on to detail her experiences in what had appeared to be the enemy's lair. "How, how is Blackfire?"

"Conscious. The regeneration of her foot is coming along nicely, though, of course, the Orb has blocked the nerves to keep her from feeling the pain. I took the liberty of informing her of your recent actions."

"Oh, no…"

"Oh yes. I couldn't quite follow all of what she said, even though she used very simple terminology; 89% of the words she employed had no more than four letters each. But I was able to make out a few recognizable concepts: 'big idiot,' 'stupid decision,' and 'what was she thinking' being among them."

Again she grimaced. "I suppose I deserve that."

"You certainly do. Athena, do you now see what our—I am as guilty of this as you—what our unbridled emotions can lead us to?"

"I see n-*" Her eyes widened. "Of course! So _that's_ what all that was for!"

"All what?"

"Our opponent apparently has devised some sort of emotional manipulator. Didn't you tell me you had an…incident take place, down in your laboratory, not long ago?"

"Yes." He'd told her about the incident, but refrained from mentioning the mental images that had accompanied it. There was, he thought, no need to burden her with the knowledge that he now _knew_ how she'd been used. Raven had agreed. "So you believe this 'Lucifer' was responsible for that, as well?"

"He called it an 'emotor;' I think the designation indicates its purpose."

Omega looked grim. "Indeed. If so, he has identified, and, worse, is able to make use of, one thing we—you and I—have…difficulty with: our emotions."

Robin stepped forward. "Athena, were you able to get any idea where his base is?"

"No. There were too many force-fields in place for my senses to function properly."

"_Damn._ There goes our one possibility." His voice was tinged with barely disguised anger.

"Robin," Omega spoke up, "if it's any consolation, I seriously doubt that any of us—including myself—could have gotten any more information. His complex is quite possibly in some other universe or dimension. There may be nothing to find, at least in this reality."

"Well, there is one thing we can look for: those infected bats." He stalked out of the room, with Starfire following right behind him.

Athena stood up. "Well, I suppose I'd best go and—what's the Earth expression?—'take my medicine'? Yes, take my medicine from Blackfire. You say she is conscious? I'd like to check on her, anyway."

At the door of the Orb's room, Athena hesitated. She knew she deserved a tongue lashing, but that didn't mean she wanted one. She opened the door cautiously. "Blackfire?"

"I'm here, Athena." And Athena could see her friend, still clad in her pajamas, floating in the Orb's substance, whatever it was. Idly, the scientist in Athena longed to be able to run some tests on the Orb, see what it was made of. Of course, whatever it was, might be so different from anything in her experience that it might be completely incomprehensible. It could easily be an abstract mathematical concept, not really any sort of matter or energy at all.

She stood before the there-but-not-there boundary between the known universe and the unknown and perhaps unknowable, eyes down, hands clasped in front of her. "I seem to have made a bit of an error in judgment."

"Izzat so? I _never_ would've guessed!" Athena winced at the heavy sarcasm in Blackfire's voice. Then the latter sighed. "Well. To be perfectly honest, 'Thena, I…I probably would've done the same thing, had you been injured or if you'd been…well, if you'd been injured. Let's just both make a note to learn from this and try not to do that sort of thing in the future, 'kay?"

"As the human saying goes, 'works for me.'" Athena grinned. Then she sobered. "How are you feeling?"

"Strange. I'm not weightless in here, but it's almost as if I were. And I can't feel my right leg, from the calf down. The Orb tells me the regeneration is coming along fine. It's a bit more complicated because of my fast-healing ability; my body is trying to adjust to me not having a heel on that foot, and the Orb has to keep constantly correcting for that. So it may take me a bit longer than it would if I were an Earth human, with no such healing factor. But I guess everything worth waiting for, is worth waiting for, as the saying goes."

"Indeed. And you, whole again, are definitely worth waiting for."

Blackfire turned her head to look at Athena. "Athena? Would—would you…take my hand?" After conferring with the Orb, and being reassured it was okay, Athena reached through the Orb's not-quite-there substance and grasped her friend's hand. Blackfire squeezed tightly, knowing she couldn't crush _these_ fingers, the way she had Cyborg's, so long ago, in another lifetime. "I love you, Athena. As a friend, of course," she added hastily. "But I do. I…just wanted you to know that."

"And I love you, too, Blackfire. As you say, as a friend. And I want you to get well soon. The room—and to be honest, my life—seems emptier without you in it."

"I'll sure try." Their fingers withdrew. "So. Did you learn anything about whoever's behind all this?"

"Our main adversary calls himself Lucifer. I understand this has some mythological or theological significance to Earth humans. And he claims to be not responsible for the mosquito in Garfield and Terra's room. If so, it stands to reason he was not behind this latest incident, where you were…hurt. I did not see any reason for him to lie. I was unable to trace any power emanations, and therefore find him, and he did not show himself. But he did demonstrate that he has the power to control, or at least unlock, our deeply suppressed emotions. Mine, at least. It was…a rather unpleasant experience."

"Emotional roller-coaster ride? Yeah, I can see how that'd be rough. Especially on someone not used to handling them. What emotions did he make you experience?"

"Depression. Anger. And," here, Athena hesitated. Blackfire noticed that, but said nothing, waiting for the Osiran girl to continue. "Happiness. That last one was…the hardest one to deal with, in a way."

"Yeah. I…can see how it would be. So. You didn't learn anything else?"

"Only that he doesn't seem to lack for machinery. I destroyed what would have been easily a city block here on Earth, and saw nothing but more machinery. And there were too many force fields or other inhibiting factors in place for me to sense anything definite beyond that."

"Could it all have been an illusion of some sort?"

"If so, it was a very convincing one." They fell silent, not really knowing what else to say. Then, "Well. I will go compare notes with the others. Perhaps the Kindred have discovered something about his type of gate creation that we can use to find him. And Robin may need my help in seeking out the potentially infected bats."

"'Kay. Luv ya, 'Thena. Don't be a stranger."

"I will not. Rest now, and recover. I…eagerly await your recuperation and return."

The Titans gathered around the dinner table, combining a meal with reporting. "So, Athena," began Robin, "Did you learn anything over there?"

"Only that this 'Lucifer' seems to have some way of manipulating emotions. That was what I found difficult to deal with, and what caused me to, I suppose, faint?—or else lose consciousness in whatever way I did."

"Was this a machine, a device he had, or a power?"

"If he was being candid with me—and truthfully, I see no reason for him not to be—I believe it to be a device. He spoke of 'settings.' And another thing: Devil Cat," and here Kitten looked up from her food in surprise, "he claims to be the one who altered you. He called you his 'crowning achievement,' and seemed quite proud of what you've become. What he has turned you into, I mean."

"So." Kitten mused, "he's the guy who mutated me. Now I know."

"But Robin," continued Athena, "something else. He claimed to have no knowledge of who sent the golden rose, the infected mosquito, or the gate that maimed Blackfire. And I really couldn't see how it would benefit him to lie about the matter."

Robin thought hard. "So…it looks like we're looking, once again, at the distinct possibility of two such individuals, both with biological warfare tech, and gate technology." He leaned forward on the table, rubbing his eyes. "Though why the reopened gate didn't lead you to this other individual…."

"That is not that unusual. As I said, currents in hypertime are ever changing. Had we opened the gate immediately after it first opened, it would have been more probable to've led us to the destination of our…of the other person. But because the time stream currents are changing, the one we opened led to Lucifer's lair."

"So what was your opinion about this 'Lucifer' character?"

Athena rested her head on her nestled fingers. "Unsure. Although I couldn't accurately gauge his sincerity, him being nonpresent, he seemed genuinely surprised about the attack, or whatever it was, and even seemed sincere in inquiring about Blackfire's injuries. He stated that, at present, he had no quarrel with this group. Of course, he didn't care to enlighten me regarding his long-range goals.

"And I received the distinct impression that what he did to me was supposed to be, in an odd sort of way, educational. He spoke of it as being something I'd need."

"Hm," mused Omega, "it is true that one cannot learn to control emotions unless one has experienced them. I know something of that, myself."

"So." Robin looked thoughtful. "He either has the power to, or has a machine that can, manipulate emotions. And, unless we're really misreading this whole situation, he was using it to actually _teach_ you self-control, how to control your emotions. Or to, to _immunize_ you against strong emotions. Why would he do that?"

"Robin." Omega spoke up. "I find it significant that, so far, only Athena and I have been subject to these emotional 'brain blasts,' so to speak.

"And…there may be no connection, but…on Osira, the Lords controlled us by means of controlling our emotions. So we never learned any controls of our own.

"Could it be this Lucifer actually seeks to _aid_ us in establishing such control? No doubt for his own purposes, but still."

"That stands to reason, but why would he seek to produce immunity in you to his weapon, a weapon that seems to be most effective on you, of all people?"

Omega and Athena looked at each other. They'd both arrived at the same conclusion, and it wasn't pretty. "The simplest answer is this, Robin. We are being taught to resist external emotional manipulation."

Robin's eyes grew big. "So that means…."

"Yes. It may well be that someone may have reason to believe _they_ survived. _They_ may be out there now."

Cyborg looked back and forth at them. "Who? Who's out there?" But Raven and Kitten only nodded. _They_ knew.

"The Lords. If our conjectures—and our fears-are true, they may not be as quite as dead as we thought they were."

_To be continued…_


	10. Chapter 10: Influence

Tales of the Titans: Crucible, Chapter 10: Influence

Athena was out, not patrolling exactly, just, as she'd heard the human expression, "getting some air." She wondered where that term came from; all humans needed air, to go without was to court certain death. But she correctly surmised that it really meant "some time alone to oneself."

She flew over the First National Bank of Jump City, the very one she'd been tricked into robbing not long ago, by Blackfire. Athena smiled at the memory. She'd been so naïve, in those days.

So much had changed. She now was learning the difference between right and wrong, was learning what it meant to be a hero, but, more importantly, she was learning what it was to be _human_, to be a _friend._ True, she and the warrior now called Omega had shared a kind of friendship back in the Empire, but it had been a very closely guarded, extremely restrained relationship. It had to be. To be _friends_ with someone, back in the Empire of Osira, was looked upon with suspicion. To actually be _found out_ to be friends….frequently meant execution.

She remembered Omega instigating the expanding singularity as a distraction while he freed her from confinement. At the time, she had been deeply in thrall to the Lords, and had actually been angered that he should do such a thing. How dare he go against the will of the Lords? What the Lords decreed was what the Lords decreed; one simply obeyed. She'd given him a tongue lashing (well, actually a mind lashing, as they communicated by Link) for doing so. He'd remained unrepentant. She now understood that, even back then, he'd thrown off the control of the Lords, and was acting on his own, on his own interpretations of right and wrong. She hadn't had even the vaguest clue what those terms meant, in those days.

She wondered, also, if he'd known, because of her expertise in dealing with singularities, that they'd be forced to undergo a mind-share, a truly horrible and horribly _intimate _experience. She wondered, if he had known, would it have made any difference in his actions?

Probably not.

But this was a new world, and she was free of the Lords' domination. At least for now.

The merest _possibility_ that there might be Lords out there somewhere terrified her on a level she hadn't known she'd had, before. She remembered what had happened to her last time, in the service of the Lord Natal, how he'd raped her again and again. She'd been used, like a _thing_, for his personal pleasure. She would rather die than go back to that.

But if there were Lords out there, she might not have that choice.

Although she didn't need to eat, she thought she'd drop into the local McDonald's, for what Kitten called "comfort food"—in other words, food you did not actually need, but that the sheer act of eating momentarily took your mind off your woes.

The blond haired girl in front of her in the line looked familiar. "Terra?" she asked, even though she knew it couldn't be. Terra was on the other side of the world…

The girl turned around. "Don't _ever_ call me th-* Oh! You! You're—one of them, aren't you?" It was Tara, Terra's clone.

"If by 'one of them,' you mean the Teen Titans, then, yes, I am. And you would be Tara Zharkov, am I incorrect?"

The blond girl who looked so much like Terra looked away, as though unwilling to meet Athena's gaze. "Yeah, that's me. Had some business here in town, disposition of property, an' all." She looked up. "I'm not here to start any trouble or anything."

"I never thought you were. I'm only a recent arrival myself, and have not met many of the people the other Titans have. So I do not know you, I'm afraid. I'm sorry if I gave offense a moment ago….I am Athena, by the way."

Tara sighed. "It's…it's alright, I guess. You couldn't know. It's just…and, and it's good to meet you." And here tears formed in her eyes. "It's just I… I…"

Athena made a decision. "Come. Sit with me." The both had their orders, and were looking for a table.

"I, I don't wanna bother you or anything…"

"You will not be bothering me. Come. There is an empty table." And the two made their way through the crowded restaurant and sat.

Once there, Tara opened her Big Mac box, and nibbled on her French fries.

Athena took a few bites of her McFlurry. "It requires no great powers of observation to see that something is bothering _you_."

"Yeah." Pause. "I saw where _he_ got married. And to that bi-* Uhm…"

Athena said nothing, but continued to eat her ice cream.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to, to say anything against…a friend of yours." Another pause, while the blond girl ate part of another French fry. "It's just…I don't see w-why he doesn't _see_…" But Tara couldn't go on, and the tears began to appear, flowing down her face. Although Athena was still coming to grips with this business of having emotions, and of the ways they affected both humans and Osirans alike, it did seem like the tears followed a definite trail down Tara's face…as if accustomed to flowing down this way.

But perhaps it was just her imagination. "Doesn't see what, Tara?"

"Why he—he doesn't see that I love him so. And, and, she doesn't. She _can't._ At least, not like I do! There's no way! I, I…" She trailed off, was silent for a minute. Then she pushed her Big Mac box towards Athena. "Here. I can't eat this."

As she did so, Athena noticed something on Tara's arm. There, just above the elbow, on the inside, was a small bump. "Tara, what's that on your arm?"

"What?"

"That small mark." It was mostly healed over.

"Oh." Her attention was drawn to the spot. "Ah, that's a mosquito bite. Damn things are all over Steel City." She scratched absently at the mark.

"Ah. Yes, I've had some experience with mosquitoes, myself, of late."

Tara stared. "But how? Aren't you invulnerable?"

"I've _seen_ a few. Of course, we had no equivalent on my home world, so the species is new to me." But she thought: that is no mosquito bite.

What humans term "X-ray vision," at least, in Osirans, has nothing to do with actual X-rays. Rather, it depends upon an extremely short-wave low-power emission that can harmlessly penetrate most substances and reveal data on a microscopic and even subatomic level. Athena now used this ability to examine Tara's "mosquito bite."

From the angle and depth of the wound, although almost completely healed, it looked like an old needle mark. And further, Athena concluded, unless it was done by a very clumsy health professional, it appeared to be self-inflicted. _Change the subject._ "You said you had some disposition of property here in Jump City?"

"Yeah. It seems my 'parents'"—she made air quotes with her fingers, "—actually owned the house I lived in. Sort of. It was in my name, so I had to come and close the deal on selling it. I." She paused again. "I couldn't live there now if my life depended on it. Something happened there." She shuddered. "Something awful. I couldn't stay there a single night. I had to get a hotel room while I was here." She looked down at her lap. "I'm sorry, I'm boring you."

"You are doing nothing of the sort. It is true Terra is a friend of mine, and I cannot sanction insults against her, but…I can see that you are hurting. When one hurts, one sometimes…says or does things one might normally not do. This is not something I am totally unfamiliar with. And I was told of your…rivalry with Terra, so your feelings don't surprise me. But anyway, as a member of Titans' East, you are an ally, are you not? Therefore, if follows that, if you should have a problem of some sort, I should be willing to help in whatever way I can. I should at least be willing to listen. And I am."

Tara took a french fry, doubled it up, and drew patterns in the ketchup she'd poured onto the paper lining of her tray. She rested her head on her other hand while she spoke. "They tell me I've only really been alive for about three years, give or take a little. Seems like I've spent most of that time getting kidnapped by monsters. I guess it has me a little jumpy."

"Well, _that's_ hardly surprising. I understand how getting kidnapped even once would make almost anyone, as you put it, 'jumpy.'" She was learning how to listen to people, largely from Omega listening to her. "I think it would be more unusual if you were _not_ somewhat nervous."

Tara smiled weakly. "Thanks, Athena. You know, you're really a good listener. Most of the others just don't wanna hear it."

"Well, they should. I am still somewhat a stranger to this world, and to emotions, but even I can tell you are troubled. I wish to help if I can." While she spoke, Athena used her senses to explore Tara's handbag, searching for some evidence of narcotics or other such substances. She didn't find any, but she did find something odd: three small, flat crystals with peculiar designs on them, two yellow and one red, carefully wrapped in cloth, hidden away in the deepest part of Tara's handbag. She couldn't identify them. Whatever they were, they were beyond the scope of her knowledge and experience.

Tara was staring again. "A stranger to emotions? How's that?"

"On my native world, emotions were carefully controlled and used to control us, by those who were our masters." _And I hope that remains in the past tense._ "It wasn't until coming to this world that I began to experience them for myself, and learn, in any way, to control them."

Tara made more designs in the ketchup with her French fry. "Wish I could find some way to turn off some of _my_ emotions."

"No, you don't. Trust me: not having something you are supposed to have creates a void within you that is actually more disturbing than any pain, physical or emotional. It is not something you wish for yourself." Even as she spoke, the thought flashed through Athena's mind: had _nobody_ bothered to _listen_ to the girl in all this time?

And what were those three flat crystals in her handbag?

"Yeah, well, so far, all _my_ emotions have done is get me in trouble. And, and cause me a whole lot of pain." Again, two tears made their way down Tara's face. "I've only been alive three years, and it seems like, all those three years, I've been in love with the one guy who can never return it. It's just not fair, dammit!" Her voice rose. "Can't he _see_ that she's just _using_ him? That he-*" Here she stopped, hung her head, putting her hands behind her head, and sniffled. Hard.

Her McFlurry long since finished, Athena reached over and place a hand gently on the troubled girl's arm. "Tara. Be at peace. I know, I can tell, you are suffering. In a way, I can sympathize." _That might be me,_ she thought, _I could feel the same way about Kitten and Omega. I could be as tortured as this poor girl is. But what can I do to help her?_ Terra was a friend, and while she certainly did not agree with Tara's enmity towards her, she could understand how the rivalry between the two of them stood. "I, too, have known what it is to have…certain feelings for another. But tell me: what, to you, seems like a good course of action to take in this circumstance? What would you advise, say, me, were our situations reversed?"

Tara sniffled some more. "Oh, I _know_ what I should do, what everybody is telling me I should do. Just move on, find somebody else, get over him. Sure _sounds _easy, the way they tell it. It's just…I can't seem to _do_ it, somehow."

"What is hindering you, do you think?"

More sniffling. "I don't know. I, I just can't seem to get interested in anybody else. I close my eyes and I see _him._ I even _dream_ about him: that goofy grin, everything. I just can't seem to get away from it."

Athena thought. Then, "Tara, I know we have only just met, but would you be willing to allow me to run some tests on you?"

_Sniff._ "What sort of tests?"

"Genetic tests. One of my areas of expertise, back in the Empire, was in the field of genetics. Some of that has carried over into human biology. It occurs to me, there may be physical complications, factors, that prevent you from 'moving on,' as others have suggested."

"What do you mean?"

Athena rested her head on her hand and looked at Tara. "The current theory is that you were cloned from cells taken from Terra Markov at a time in her life when she had just begun to develop strong feelings for Beast Boy, correct?"

Warily. "Yeah…"

"And, furthermore, you were given false memories, to aid in the disguise, right?" Even as she said it, something coalesced in Athena's mind. She was careful, very careful, however, to give no sign of it, either in her face or her voice.

"Y-yes, but I don't see…"

"It is not beyond the bounds of possibility that these factors combined to essentially _program_ you, genetically, to love Beast Boy."

Tara's eyes widened. "No…no way! Surely not! I mean…" Then she stopped, thinking. "That…that might would…explain a lot, though…do-do you really think, I mean, that there's a chance that…that it's true?"

Athena shrugged. "It's only a possibility, mind you. I know that my own people were genetically programmed to obey the Lords, our masters. So deeply was this ingrained in us that the whole notion of going against their wishes was almost unthinkable." Again a shrug. "They scarcely _needed_ their mental powers to compel us. We _wanted_ to obey. We couldn't imagine doing anything else. I remember," she continued, a faraway look coming over her face, "that, upon being freed from the conditioning they imposed upon us, the thought of actually _making my own decisions_ was…was a bit…frightening. I had never done that before. It was…a new way of life. It was scary, to me."

Tara looked thoughtful. "I can't imagine living like that. I mean, having no free will of your own…"

"Oh, we had some will, some of us." _Those of us who broke free of the Lords' control certainly did, at least._ "But for the most part, most of us simply did whatever the Lords told us to do. No matter how…terrible it was."

Tara smiled a sympathetic smile through her tears "Sounds like I'm not the only one with some bad memories."

"No, you are not. But getting back to you. If you would permit me to examine you, perhaps we could devise some means of countering this…issue, if, indeed, it is genetically related. That is, if you want to."

Tara thought for a moment. Then, "….Yeah, I can see how something like that is something I could maybe, deal with, better than if it were, you know. Some people have accused me of pining away for him. Thing is…" she hesitated. "Thing is, they're right. I _know_ this. I, I just can't help it, seems like."

"Then, as I said, we could at least explore the matter. Mind you, I am not saying this is what it is, of course. It's altogether possible that it isn't." But mentally, she was thinking.

While she'd been talking to Tara, the latter had broken down, to one degree or another, more than once. Her emotions seemed…very much on the surface. Athena didn't know that much about human beings or their emotions, but for one to get this emotional with someone who was, after all, pretty much a complete stranger….

….just didn't seem right, somehow. Unless there were other factors involved.

She wondered if those three strange crystals in Tara's handbag had anything to do with it.

The other Titans were out when Athena took Tara back to the Tower. Omega was in his basement laboratory, and it was here that Athena brought Tara. "Hello, Tara. How have you been?"

"Okay, Omega. How's it going for you?"

"Very well indeed. Athena told me of your problem, and of her suggestion."

Tara looked suspiciously at Athena. "She _told_ you? How?" She hadn't seen Athena use any sort of communications device…

"A kind of mind-to-mind communication we call Link. Think of it as a kind of artificial telepathy. Now, if you'll step over here…."

"Do you guys need to draw blood or something?"

"It isn't required. If you'll simply lie down here on this table…"

And he ran two opposing circular arrangements up and down her, similar to an Earthly CT scanning machine. "This device will scan your genetic structure, down to the atomic level, and feed that information into our computers here. The answer will not be instantaneous; the human genome is, after all, enormously complex. But we will compare it with both Terra's and those of several other humans of similar genetic makeup to see how they compare. We can reach you at Titans' East, correct?"

"Yeah. Uh, is there a rest room here I could use?"

"Of course." He pointed. "Right over there." She disappeared behind the door, and he busied himself with the diagnostic machinery.

Athena stood, arms crossed, looking steadily at the door to the restroom. {{Athena?}} He linked, {{is something wrong?}}

{{Possibly. Observe.}} And the two Osirans focused their senses on the area behind the door to the rest room.

Tara had indeed pulled down her clothes and sat upon the toilet. But now she reached into the handbag she carried and drew forth one of the carefully-wrapped yellow crystals. She placed it on the side of the sink, got up, cleaned herself up, and, once fully dressed, unwrapped the crystal. She broke it in half, and just stood there, holding the two halves in her hands, eyes closed, for a moment. Then she sighed and seemed to relax. _Better,_ she mouthed. Then she dropped the two halves of the crystal down the toilet, flushed it, and proceeded to wash her hands.

Omega and Athena looked away and busied themselves with the machinery as she came out. "So, you'll…contact me? At Titans' East?" They nodded. Tara then turned to Athena. "Athena? I'm sorry if I, you know, bothered you, earlier. I'm not usually like that."

Athena smiled and placed a hand on the girl's shoulder. "You did not bother me. I am glad to be of whatever help I can. And _you_ can contact _me_, here, should you wish to, you know. Simply to talk, if you so desire. Anytime."

"Thanks. That…that means a lot to me." She managed a tired smile. "Well, I'd best be getting on. My flight leaves soon." She checked her cell for the time. "Steel City's a little too far to ride a boulder to. Well, I'll be in touch. Bye."

After she'd left, Omega turned to Athena. {{What was that, with the crystal?}}

{{I am not sure,}} Athena Linked, moving towards the bathroom. She stooped down and picked something up. Something right by the toilet. {{But perhaps we can find out.}} She showed Omega what she'd found, what had evidently slipped out when Tara had taken the yellow crystal out of her handbag.

It was the carefully wrapped red crystal.

_To be continued…_


	11. Chapter 11: Masters

Tales of the Titans: Crucible, Chapter 11: Masters

Starfire was bringing the latest reports from the Kindred's hive down to Omega. She smiled; sometimes he stayed in his laboratory a little too much than she felt was really good for him. But surely Kitten would see to it that he didn't hermit himself away, like….somebody _else_ she knew.

But neither of the Osirans was in evidence. That was perhaps not that surprising; with boom-tube technology, they could be anywhere, even on some other planet, although she doubted that. No doubt they'd just stepped out for a moment.

She laid the reports on the table where Omega usually reviewed them, when her attention was drawn to a strange red crystal, over on the other table. From the looks of things, Omega had been about to subject it to some tests. Intrigued, Starfire moved closer.

She'd never seen anything like it. It was a thin, flat, rhomboid crystal, red in coloration, lying there on the table, glowing ever so slightly. Curious, she picked it up, turning it over and over, noting the odd markings on either side.

The crystal proved to be more fragile than she'd thought, however, and it broke in her grasp. "Oh, no!" Alarmed, she held both halves in her hands…maybe, if it broke that easily, she could just snap it back together, somehow….

Wait. Why should _she_ be worried about this fragile crystal? What business did they have, leaving something so easily broken out where just anybody could come across it? _She_ certainly wasn't to blame. She dropped the halves back onto the table and headed upstairs.

She encountered Robin in the hallway. "Say, Star. I managed to get tickets to a special preview of _The Silmarillion. _Wanna go?"

She turned on him. "Excuse me? Are you actually implying that I, a princess of Tameran, would stoop so low as to attend a social function with the likes of _you?_" Such was the force in her voice that Robin backed up, just a little, eyes widening behind his mask. "Uh, Star? What, er, what's wrong?"

"The _name,_ commoner, is _Your Highness, Princess Starfire._ I _did not_ give you leave to address me in such a familiar manner!"

Robin was stunned. Something was definitely wrong here. "Star, are—are you feeling alright?" And he reached out for her arm to check her temperature…

"I told you, I am _Princess Starfire of Tameran!_ And you WILL NOT touch me!" And she lashed out, a backhanded blow, catching him on the right side of his head. Caught completely off guard, Robin slammed up against the far wall and collapsed, blood pooling beneath him….

_There,_ thought Starfire, with a certain amount of satisfaction. That was one commoner who'd be more respectful of her, in the future. Providing he lived.

…

Starfire woke up in her room. Her head hurt, and her whole body felt…queasy, somehow. Instinctively, she knew something was wrong. She'd never awakened feeling this way before.

Athena was standing by her door. "Starfire? Are you awake?"

"Yes, friend Athena. Though I feel most…peculiar. Can…can I help you?" She was wondering why the Osiran was actually here, inside, in her room. Normally, they—and everyone else—would signal for entrance before entering.

"No. But I believe I might be of assistance to you." She paused. "What's the last thing you remember?"

"I—I was delivering some reports to Omega, down in his laboratory." She sat up, putting her hand to her head. "Something…happened. I do not know what. How did I end up here?"

Athena came over and knelt by her, her expression very somber. "Starfire…Robin has been hurt. Seriously hurt. He's in the infirmary now, but he will have to spend some time in the Orb. Possibly quite a bit of time."

"No! Who—who did this? What manner of creature is responsible for this—this outrage?"

Athena looked at her oddly. "Starfire….you are."

….

A few minutes later: Cyborg had played and replayed the security camera footage. A horrified Starfire saw it all: her getting off the elevator, Robin approaching her, her backhanding him with enough force to shake the camera, his body crashing against the wall, the blood…."No, no! I, I would _never_ do such a thing! It, it must be some imposter!" She sank to her knees, sobbing.

"I'm sorry, Star, but it all checks out." Cyborg was as solemn as they'd ever seen him. "Remote fingerprinting, retina and voice analysis, even brain wave and aura scan…it all checks out. That's you. There's no doubt."

"No….no, it cannot be…"

"Starfire," Athena knelt beside the distraught Tameranean, putting a hand over her shoulder. "You told me you were down in Omega's lab. And that's the last thing you remember? Was there anything else?"

Starfire sniffled. She could never forgive herself for what she'd just done. It didn't matter if others forgave her, that was of very secondary importance (except for Robin, of course—would he forgive her?); she could never, in a million years, in a hundred million years, forgive herself for so seriously hurting the one she loved with all her heart. "I, I do not know. I, I think I found something down there…the color _red_ comes to mind…but I remember no more." She clutched almost desperately at the Osiran. "Oh, please tell me! He will be the all of right, will he not?"

Athena hesitated. "Starfire…he was very very lucky. The force of the blow could easily have driven dozens of bone splinters deep into his brain, killing him instantly. But it did not. However, he did suffer some damage to his brain, and he will have to spend an extended amount of time in the Orb, for reconstruction. Without that, he—he might be what you call a 'vegetable.' How all that will affect his memories, we don't know. And even the Orb can't say if it'll have any effect on his personality."

"His pers—you mean, he—he might not be the same _person_?" Starfire's voice rose a notch as she realized what they were saying.

Athena held up a finger, cautioning her. "It's only a _possibility,_ Starfire. And a remote one, at that." But her voice betrayed her doubt.

"No…no…" Starfire bent double in the chair, trying hard, very hard, to block out the very thought. With no success whatsoever.

Athena turned to Omega. "We have to find out what those crystals are."

…

Raven escorted a sobbing Starfire back to her room. "No…no, it…I cannot believe it…it did not happen…"

"I'm sorry, Starfire, but it did. But it's obvious you weren't yourself. Try…try not to worry about it. Everything's being done that can be done, and, given all our resources, that's a lot. You know the Orb can bring him back from just about anything short of full physical death, and he's not dead. So…it'll be alright."

"But, but I…I would never do…something like that!" Her voice hardened. "Now, Blackfire…of her I would believe it, but…"

"Star? Let's step in here to your room for a minute, okay?" Once inside, Raven sat Starfire down on her bed, and sat next to her. "There's something I think you should know. When we first found Robin, and had reviewed the security footage…while none of us actually believed what we saw, the first person who said anything at all said, and I quote, 'there is no way my sister would ever do something like that.'" Starfire said nothing, but continued to fumble with her Kleenex, sniffling. "I just thought that was something you needed to know."

"I…yes, thank you, Friend Raven. Yes. I…shall have to…think about that."

…

Starfire cried herself to sleep that night. Would Robin live? After all, just being inside the Orb didn't automatically mean that everything was going to be fine. If—if his _soul,_ the essential part of him that made him _him,_ had already left his body, there was nothing the Orb could do about that. She wondered if the Entity could.

And what about her? If he were to die, or was already dead, she would be a murderer. And not just any murderer; she would have murdered the one she loved. She could imagine no greater crime.

Starfire's people had strong injunctions against suicide, except under very special circumstances, such as to prevent being taken captive in battle. But she honestly didn't see anything else to do, in a case like that. It—it would only be justice.

And what if he lived, but was not the same person? Maybe—maybe he would be what Athena had termed a "vegetable," meaning a body with no mind. Or—perhaps, in a way, even worse—he might come back a totally different person, not the Robin she knew and loved at all. In a way, that was even more terrifying.

Her dreams were no escape from the hell her waking life had become. In them, she was always alone in some dark place, somewhere. Robin was there, but she couldn't move to go towards him, somehow. He never spoke, but just gave her a sorrowful look, then turned his back on her and walked away. "No, Robin! Come back! I am sorry! You will never know how sorry I am!" But it did no good. He still moved off into the darkness beyond.

Again and again this happened….

She woke up. Robin was standing just inside her doorway, just as strong and confident as she'd remembered him, a small crooked smile playing over his lips. "Robin!" She got up and ran to him, clutching him tightly. "Oh, Robin! I am so, so very sorry! I do not know what happened! I, I just do not remember anything after going down into Omega's laboratory! I-*"

He held her tight. "Shh, Star, it's alright. I could tell something was wrong. I should have backed off until I knew what, but it just never occurred to me…I'm as much to blame as anyone."

"Do not say that." Her tears fell on his shoulder.

"Listen, Star. There's some things you have to know. I'm gonna need your help."

"Anything!"

"Alright." He backed up from her just a little, still holding onto her hands. "Here's what you need to know. First, this is a dream you're having. I'm sorry, Star, but I'm not out of the Orb yet. Now, don't fret;" he curled a finger under her chin, lifting her gaze to meet his, "just the very fact that my dream-self, or whatever you wanna call it, is out here, talking to you, is a good indication that everything's gonna be okay, right? But because I'm not physically here, I need you to do something for me. Okay? Here's what it is…."

A few minutes later, Starfire was stealing down the corridor towards Raven's room. Raven had long ago, due to an incident that took place during a spell she'd cast (or tried to), deliberately left a "hole" in her wards, so that her teammates could get through the mystical barriers. But only her teammates.

Robin had told her he needed a book that Raven had in her room. Starfire hadn't been in Raven's room often enough to know where everything was, and she wasn't completely comfortable with the notion of just going into _Raven's_ _room_, of all places, and taking anything, even a paperclip. But Robin had stressed that he needed this book for a case he was working on.

Idly, it occurred to her: how could he be working on a case, any case, when he was still inside the Orb? But no matter; if her Robin said he needed this book, then he needed this book, and she would get it for him. Besides, she thought with a slight smile, if _anybody_ could still be working on a case whilst still inside the Orb, it was Robin.

Nobody saw her, but if they had, they might have noted that her eyes were unblinking and seemed a bit glazed over, and her pupils did not dilate as the light struck them.

Or perhaps they wouldn't have noticed anything like that at all.

So, driven largely by guilt, walking in a dream, she stole silently into Raven's personal quarters—wondering, in the back of her mind, how Robin could know that the sorceress was out—and went over to the chest with a padlock on it. It was open in seconds, Starfire having learned the art of lockpicking a long time ago, from her fiancé, at that. It was knowledge that had proved useful on more than one occasion.

There; lying on the very bottom of the chest was an old, musty book. Just like he'd said, it was the only object in there. She picked it up, noting its heft. Of course, weight-wise, it was nothing for her to carry, but it still seemed to her to be a bit heavier than what she would have thought an object this size would be. She wrapped a thick sheet she'd brought along around it, and stole quietly out.

Robin, or rather his dream-self, was waiting for her in the corridor. He took the wrapped book from her. "Thanks, Star. This'll help a whole lot."

"But—but I do not understand," she began, "how can this book, or any book of Raven's help you in this case you are working on?"

"I need it to compare some notes. I'm in a hurry, and that's why I couldn't wait to get out of the Orb and ask Raven herself for the book. Don't worry, Star. Everything'll be just fine. You'll see." He took her in his arms. "And don't worry about me. I'll be out of the Orb in no time, you'll see. Okay?"

She sniffled some more. "I—I still regret most deeply having brought the harm to you…"

"Well, this'll go a long way towards making everything right again. Now, don't worry; I'll be out of the Orb soon, and then you'll see. Everything'll be alright then, okay? Just don't worry so much about it." He kissed her. "Now, I have to go, but just remember: you did the right thing tonight, okay? It'll all work out. You'll see. Go on back to bed now, and go to sleep. Everything'll be better in the morning."

More sniffling. "Al-alright." Starfire managed the beginnings of a smile.

"But I gotta go now, Star, okay? So…I'll see you soon. Alright? Be waiting for me. We'll have some catching up to do. We'll be together soon." And he was gone, just gone, as the morning mist disappears into the sunlight.

Starfire awoke in her room, only barely remembering her dream. Something about Robin, and a book…

…

Shortly thereafter, on a windswept mountainside a few hundred miles from Jump City, a figure stood, silhouetted against the westering sun. The figure opened the book it was carrying to a certain page, and laid it down on a rock. Then, stepping back and lifting a cross-shaped object high into the air, recited: "Malchior! _Liber ex testamento fiat voluntas! _Malchior! Be thou released from the book! Come forth!"

Almost at once, something like a column of intensely white light seared forth from the pages of the volume lying on the rock. It quickly coalesced into the giant form of the ancient dragon, Malchior. "Who has summoned me? Who has released me from my imprisonment?" Malchior looked around, expecting to see Raven.

The figure, tiny before the giant dragon, lowered the cruciform, and smiled a positively wicked smile, hands on her hips. "Your new master, Malchior," said Beulah Bleak.

_To be continued…_


	12. Chapter 12: Help

Tales of the Titans: Crucible, Chapter 12: Help

Blackfire was released from the Orb later that day. Starfire was not present when Athena helped her climb out of the strange substance, or whatever it was, that comprised the Orb. Cyborg was there, as was Omega, to run some tests on the mendicant. Although they knew the Orb did an uncanny job of healing humans, considering how far removed it was from humanity, they were nonetheless curious. They all looked at Blackfire's new heel. There was a slight but definite demarcation line showing where the heel had been nipped off. "Well," said Blackfire, a bit ruefully, "I used to worry about tan lines. Never thought I'd have 'em on my _feet_."

…

Starfire was keeping to herself a great deal, and Raven worried about her. She stopped by Starfire's room, on her way to the conference room. They had scheduled a meeting, and Starfire had been missing a great many of those lately. So Raven took it upon herself to extend a more personal invitation. "Star?" She signaled for entrance. "It's me, Raven."

"Come in, my friend."

The Tameranean girl was seated on her bed, clutching a pillow to herself, and staring off into space, her gaze not focused on anything in particular. Her expression was….somewhat distant. Raven thought her friend looked a bit thinner and more pale than the last time she'd seen her. She knew, from Cyborg, that meals brought to Starfire's room more often than not went back untouched. "Look, Star, you can't go on doing this to yourself. You've been cooped up in here ever since…ever since the accident. That's not healthy for you. You need to come out sometime. We're about to have a meeting, and we need you there. So come on. Okay?" Raven did her best to put on an encouraging smile, even though smiling wasn't something she was really very good at doing.

"I thank you, Friend Raven, but I believe I will remain here."

Raven thought fast. Then, "But it's really important that you come to this particular meeting. It's gonna be about Beast Boy."

"Beast Boy? What do you mean?" Starfire's attention was jarred away from whatever private scene of misery it had been fixed upon, and was now focused on Raven, sitting beside her on the bed.

"Well, you know, back when he was having those spells of his? And he attacked Cyborg? We have to decide what disciplinary action to take on that. After all, no matter how you look at it, no matter what the reason, he did attack one of us; can we afford to just let that go?"

"Raven? Am-am I hearing you correctly? You—and the others—are actually contemplating some form of _punishment_ for Friend Beast Boy because of some action he could not _help_?" Starfire looked at her friend as though she'd lost her mind.

Raven shrugged, careful not to meet Starfire's gaze. "Well, I mean, it did happen. I know he's not an active Titan right now, what with still being on his honeymoon, and probably won't be a fully active member once he returns with Terra—they are going into semi-retirement, after all-, but…the bottom line is, he did attack one of us. We can't afford to just ignore that."

"But—but he was not in control of himself! He cannot be blamed for his actions! And he has gained great control over that aspect of his powers since then! He clearly did not intend to harm anyone! I cannot believe what I am hearing! How could you even _think_ of punishing him for something he could not control?!" Star's voice rose as her temper was roused in defense of her friend.

Now Raven looked her right in the eye. "The same way you can continue to punish yourself for actions taken when you were clearly not yourself."

"Oh." Starfire visibly deflated, taken aback. "So that was all the ruse, then, yes? You are not really contemplating some form of punishment for our friend?"

Raven sighed, leaning back and drawing one leg up against her chest. "No, Star, we aren't. But we are getting a little tired of you beating yourself up this way, over something _you_ couldn't control. Now, come on. Omega wants to see you in his lab, downstairs. He has some things to show you, and he needs your input." She got up, pulling the Tameranean girl up off the bed. "And we need you now more than ever, with our numbers down. Plus, you're our friend. So come on. Don't shut us out, okay?"

Starfire sniffled. "O-okay, Friend Raven. I shall try."

Down in Omega's lab, the Osiran showed the two halves of the red crystal to Starfire and Raven. "Do these look familiar to you, Starfire?" Kitten looked on, curious about these strange objects. They were clearly artifacts, artificially created things, the designs on them strange and unfamiliar.

"No…yes…I am not sure. I remember the _color…_" She almost seemed to shrink away from the crystal halves, as though they were somehow repulsive to her.

_Maybe they are,_ thought Omega. He told her and Raven about Tara's being down in his lab, about the crystals she carried in her handbag, and her usage of one in the restroom. "I conclude they must have some effect on human—and Tameranean—emotions. Tara was much more calm when she emerged from the restroom." He extended the crystals to Starfire, who shrank back from them. "It's alright, Starfire, they're harmless now. I believe they contained some sort of energy charge that affected the emotion change." Gingerly, she picked one up.

So, she thought, this was the thing responsible for her…doing what she did. "But where did these come from?"

"That's just it: we aren't sure." And here he looked significantly at the others, particularly Athena, who'd joined them. Blackfire, of course, had absented herself from her sister's presence, flying back to New Zealand to keep an eye on Terra and Beast Boy. "But one thing we can tell: the technology used to create these crystals…." And here he paused for just a moment…..

"….Is strongly reminiscent of Osiran technology."

…

"Osiran tech?" Cyborg said, his eyes fixed on the crystal shards. "But how's that possible? I mean, you guys are the only ones with any Osiran tech…."

"We _were_ the only ones. Evidently, that is no longer the case." He nodded to Athena. "We both know these crystals did not come from here, from us. So they must have come from someone else. Whether or not it is truly Osiran technology or simply technology that resembles it, we are still trying to determine that."

Raven held one of the shards of crystal. "What are we looking at if it is? For that matter, what are we looking at, period?"

Athena spoke up. "I heard rumors, on some of the worlds in the Empire, of such things. Crystals such as these were reputed to alter one's moods, via induction, in various, select ways. Needless to say, on those worlds of the Empire, where emotions were strictly controlled, they served the same or similar roles as the mind-altering chemicals in your society today. But as to how such things got here, that I do not know. The technology to create such as these…would have to be somewhat higher than anything currently on Earth."

Raven turned the crystal shard around. "Could the Kindred do it?"

Athena shrugged. "Arguably. But I cannot think of any reason why they _would_ do so. Such an act would basically be against their—and our-moral code. It would be more…." The Osiran struggled for the words. "It would be more in the nature of, well, of drug dealing. I suppose what I am saying is, I would think it to be beneath them, as we understand matters. For Tara to've had one or more in her possession would seem to indicate she bought it, and I can't see the Kindred as having any interest in human currency. In any case, it would constitute something of an attack, an attack on your society. I simply do not think they would do this sort of thing."

"Well, one thing's for certain: _some_body is."

"Indeed. And we know at least one person who knows where and how to find a source, or at least a supplier, of these crystals."

…..

Tara was nearly asleep, in her room at Titans' Tower East when her door chimed. "Who is it?" she called out, stifling a yawn.

"It is I, Athena. Tara, it is imperative we talk."

Athena? Here? She supposed it wasn't beyond the bounds of possibility; although Jump City was, after all, in a different time zone, the Osiran could fly, presumably at considerable speeds. And it was, what, an hour? Two hours? Earlier there. "S-sure, just a minute." She threw a robe on over her pajamas and went to the door. "Athena? What's going on?" she asked as she ushered the Osiran girl into her living quarters.

Athena "sat" on one of the chairs in the room, motioning for Tara to do the same. "Tara. Something has happened, and we need your help."

Tara looked towards the door. "What about the others? Shouldn't we get them?"

"You might prefer it if we didn't. It involves this." And Athena held up the broken shard of the red crystal Tara had dropped in the restroom.

Tara's eyes grew big. "So _that's_ where—I mean, I—I don't know what-*"

Athena put her hand out imploringly. "Tara. No one is accusing you of any wrongdoing. But there has been an…incident." She went on to relay what had happened between Robin and Starfire, and their surmises as to why. "We believe she accidently came in contact with this crystal, in its whole form, and was affected. That's what these do, isn't it? Affect your moods?"

Tara was silent for a long, long time. "I….I guess there's no point denying it. Yeah. They—they do. I, I didn't know what else to do! Oh, Athena! Please don't tell anyone!"

"I wasn't about to. But we do need to know more about where these things come from, Tara." She saw the other girl's expression. "I understand your reluctance to provide us with this information. You feel you need these crystals to cope with stresses and strains, correct? And they do help, don't they? Or they did, at one time. But Tara….they also hurt you, too. They hurt you because you become dependent upon them, needing them more and more, in greater and greater quantities and strengths. I know; it was the same way with the Lords." She sat back, crossing her legs and remembering. "When I first came here, to this world, I was so used to the Lords' controlling my emotions that I had virtually no controls of my own. And I'm still learning. But I was a murderous psychopath because of that. You don't want that for yourself, trust me.

"And there is another matter. We believe these crystals were tailored for human beings, specifically. That means this one may have somehow harmed Starfire in some way not immediately obvious to detection. Or it may not have. But the thing is, we don't _know_, not for sure. Not unless we can obtain another, undamaged red crystal."

Tara was crying again. "I, I'm sorry, Athena. I never meant for any of this to happen! It's just…I _hurt_ so! And, and…" But here she broke down completely, and Athena gathered the tormented girl into her arms, whispering the three most powerful words in the English language:

"_Let me help."_

_To be continued…_


	13. Chapter 13: What's Done

Tales of the Titans: Crucible, Chapter 13: What's Done…

"Yesss," said Alpha's voder, hung around his neck, "These, or artifacts like them, are known to us. And you are correct: they alter one's moods." He frowned at the crystal shard in his hand. "And I take it that one of your own has been adversely affected by this?"

"More than one," Raven said, sitting in one of the Osiran chairs in Alpha's office at the Kindred's hive. She and Athena had flown in, with Athena bringing in a still-reluctant Tara. Tara was being examined by Delta and Theta in one of the Kindred's examination rooms. Raven related to him what had transpired, with Tara using a yellow crystal, evidently dropping the red one, Starfire finding it, and what had followed. "We don't really know what other problems we may be facing, at this juncture."

Alpha thought. He was impressed with this human girl's emotional control, not to mention her intellect. Formidable, for a human. "These crystals…they are very dangerous. Used in the manner you describe, they can essentially induce emotions in anyone who is affected by the charge they carry. And, although I, personally, have never encountered these, it is my understanding that prolonged usage can cause a kind of habituation, I suppose you'd say. That's partially due to the unique nature of the energy charge in the crystal and to the nature of the individual who seeks to use such. This human girl is here?"

"Yes. Athena is with her. She is being examined by Delta and Theta, in another room."

Alpha thought. "There is a technique which may prove useful in this case. We can—if the girl is willing—place her in a kind of virtual reality, where she can be weaned off of the tendency to use these, with no damage to either her mind or body. And, of course, in the process, we can repair whatever damage may have already taken place. But there is still the worrisome matter of where they came from."

"Precisely why we've come to you. Omega and Athena spoke of things like these as existing in your old universe, your Empire. Do you have any idea where they could have come from, in this one?"

Alpha pursed his lips. Around his neck, his voder spoke up. "It would require a high order of technology to create things like these. It would not take a lot of power, but a rather high level of technological sophistication. I am unaware of anyone on this planet who possesses such. Perhaps they are of extraplanetary origin?" He thought. "There are ways to test the material of this crystal shard, to see if it came from some other planet. Of course, this adversary of yours—and ours—this 'Lucifer'—he may well possess such technology. And, from what you say, he seems to have some mastery over emotional manipulation. Almost on a scale to rival the Lords. That, in itself, is…a bit disturbing."

"Indeed. Alpha…do you think the Lords could have survived?"

Alpha's voder was silent for a moment. Then, "We know one did. But I believe that to be an aberration, an accident. The pods that seeded us here on this world were supposed to contain representatives of all the castes, but the Lords' wave was destroyed by your people. Having had time to consider the matter, I…now consider that to be a positive thing. The warrior you call Omega is correct: it was the Lords' overpowering desire for mastery of everything, control of all resources, even those they did not actually need, that led to the never-ending cycle of war that our universe ultimately became. Just as we were genetically programmed for increased intelligence, so, too, the Lords were programmed to seek complete control. It…was not a pleasant situation, there at the end."

Raven smiled. "You seem reluctant to even mention the Lords."

Again Alpha hesitated for a moment. "We—like all the other castes—were genetically programmed to obey the Lords. For me to even imply that their absence is a positive thing is, for us, almost akin to what you would term blasphemy."

"You're learning to think for yourself, Alpha, to make your own decisions. I can understand how that can be a difficult task, if you are not used to it."

"Difficult, yes. But also…refreshing. Invigorating, even. I…rather like it." He paused. "But getting back to your problem…let us go see the girl."

Tara lay on the exam table, relaxed, as the scanning beams played over her. "Uhm, what did you guys say you were looking for?"

Delta looked up from her monitors. "The crystals such as you possessed often produce some subtle organic damage. We are scanning you for that."

Tara sighed. "This whole mess if my fault. I hate to be so much trouble."

Theta came over to her and took her hand. Even though the Kindred female was decidedly alien to Tara's experience, hell, alien _period,_ she found herself being reassured by Delta and Theta's attitude, their "bedside manner." "Do not worry yourself, young one," said Theta's voder, hung, like Alpha's, around her neck, "You and yours are allies to us, _friends_. You are of us now, and we of you. As such, your problems are ours. We will help you just as we would help one of our own." Tara's eyes misted over. The only other people, if you could call them that, who had ever really showed her affection, had been the robots posing as her parents. That had all been a lie, of course; they were simply programmed to see to her development up to a point, at which point she would be "harvested" by some unknown person or persons, for God only knew what reason.

But this…this was real. It was like coming home, after having been gone for so long…

Alpha entered. "What have you found out?" He used his voder in order that the humans might be included in the conversation.

"There appears to be no damage to Tara's physiological systems, Alpha."

"Good." He turned to Tara, still lying on the examination table. "Tara. We have developed a treatment for this condition of yours, this addiction. It basically involves a virtual reality world where you can recuperate, learn new patterns of behavior, and new and better ways of dealing with psychological and emotional stress, without having to also deal with the physical stresses and strains of your body. If you like, we can implement this treatment now. And I understand there is some concern that you may be incidentally programmed to respond emotionally to this Garfield Logan?" She nodded. "We can scan for that as well, while you are in the virtual reality world."

"I…I don't know."

Raven and Athena came up to her. "Tara, do not fear," said Athena, "You will not be alone in this virtual reality. _We_ will be there, too—perfect copies of ourselves, our personas, and our real selves will be there with you on occasion. We would not, what's the Earth expression?—'throw you to the wolves.'" She took Tara's other hand, reassuringly. "You are one of us, Tara. We take care of our own."

Now Tara was crying openly. "I…I don't know what to say…"

"There is time, child" said Alpha, "No one is rushing you. And this is completely voluntary on your part. If you do not wish it, we will not do it. So we will leave it up to you."

"I don't have to think. I know. Yes, yes, I'll do it."

…

Omega's T-cell rang; Cyborg was calling. "Hey," he began, "The Orb is saying Robin's ready to come out. You wanna be here?"

All three of them looked at each other. This was sudden. They had all been given the impression that it would require more time than this to fully heal Robin of his injuries. Still…"We will." They tubed back to the Tower.

Cyborg was helping Robin to his feet in the Orb's room {{**He may resume normal activity as soon as he wishes,**}} the Orb was saying, {{**his injuries did not prove to be nearly as extensive as I feared.**}} Robin was putting a hand to the back of his head as they entered. Starfire, for some reason, hadn't yet made it there. "Hey, Rob, how ya feelin'?"

Robin winced. "Pretty good, really. I don't really remember what happened, at least, not yet…but whatever it was, it must've been a doozy, right? I mean, for me to have to go into the Orb…"

"Evidently, it looked worse than it really was." Privately, Cyborg was wondering where Starfire was. He'd have thought she'd been the first one here. He shrugged. She'd be here soon enough, he was sure. He made sure the door was unlocked so she wouldn't smash it off its hinges. "Well, let's see. How many fingers? Okay, any aches or pains anywhere? No? Good, good..." He busied himself with his diagnostic machines, with Kitten peering over his shoulder. Aside from ascertaining Robin's condition, Cyborg had an insatiable curiosity as to exactly what went on inside the Orb. "Man, Starfire's gonna be so _stoked…_"

"Who?"

If Robin had suddenly produced a lit stick of dynamite and tossed it onto the floor, he couldn't have elicited a more sudden response. Everybody in the room turned to look at him…

…And Starfire smashed the door in, knocking it completely off its hinges, bursting into the room, and grabbed Robin in a death-hug. "Oh, Robin! I was so worried! And, and I am so very, very sorry! Please, please forgive me, I do not know what came over me, I-…" She stopped in mid-apology. Something was wrong. Something was very wrong.

Because rather than returning her hug, Robin actually had his thumbs hooked inside her shoulders, on the front, and was pushing her back, gently. "Uhm. Ex—excuse me? Uh, Miss? Do—do I know you?"

_To be continued…_


	14. Chapter 14: Loss

Tales of the Titans: Crucible, Chapter 14: Loss

The people of Tameran are known throughout the galaxy as one of the strongest, hardiest humanoids in existence. With the exception of the Kryptonians, Daxamites, and Osirans, their physical prowess is unequalled throughout the stars. Genetic and environmental factors, natural selection, and the strong sunlight of the Vega star system have combined to produce a race of people just this side of indestructible. Their physical strength is legendary, and, in combat, there are few who can hope to equal them. Starfire herself could probably have taken a bursting shell squarely in the face and been barely more than singed.

But Robin's words reduced her to a puddle on the floor. "No…no…please…no…"

Raven recovered first. "Athena, you and Kitten take Starfire back to her room. See…see what you can do for her." After they'd left, she turned her attention to Robin, still sitting on the side of the table where Cyborg had helped him to, upon his emergence from the Orb, looking confused. "Robin, I'm not sure what to hope for, in this case. If this is a joke, it's an unnecessarily cruel one, and I can't really believe that of you. Do you _truly_ not know who that…girl…is?"

Robin's puzzled expression couldn't have been faked, and Raven, as an empath, felt a sick sensation in the pit of her stomach as she realized it wasn't. "No, Raven. Am I supposed to?"

{{Orb? What's going on?}}

{{**I do not know, Friend Raven. I have restored him to full health. There was some brain damage, but I have repaired that; there should be nothing wrong with his memory. Yet evidently there is.**}}

Raven thought fast, there with Omega, Cyborg, and Hank standing there, themselves somewhat stunned by the recent turn of events. {{Orb? Can you access his memories, see if there's been any damage there?}}

{{**If he will permit me, yes.**}}

"Hank? You're our only human telepath. Can you see what you can sense? It may be something that you might pick up on."

"I'll give it a shot, Rae, if that's okay with him."

"Damage? To my memories?" Robin was looking back and forth from one to the other.

"Yes. You…should remember who that was, that just left."

"Well…certainly. Orb? Hank? Scan me all you like." The Orb didn't have to envelop him to do so, and while both it and Hank were scanning him, Raven queried him about the other team members, as well as other things he should know.

It quickly developed that the only area of his memories that seemed to be missing were those involving Starfire. He could remember all the other members of the team, his own adoption and training under Batman, their various battles and foes…but curiously, he simply could not recall anything regarding an alien girl from the planet Tameran. "Do you not remember the time Blackfire framed Starfire for the theft of that pointlessly garish gem?"

"The name _Blackfire_'s familiar to me. Now, _she's_ from Tameran, right?"

"What about her sister?"

"She's got a sister?"

"Don't you remember, when she set herself up as Grand Ruler of Tameran, and hoaxed everybody into thinking Starfire had to submit to an arranged marriage in order to seal that treaty?"

Robin shook his head. "I'm sorry, Raven, but I'm drawing a blank. I remember Blackfire's scheme to get the power jewel, and how we thwarted her plans when we found out about the whole thing being basically a set-up—but, but I don't remember anything about a 'Starfire.'" He nodded towards the door. "That was her?" He looked as puzzled as Raven felt.

{{Orb? Anything?}}

{{**I have scanned his memories while he has been talking to you, friend Raven. I can clearly see those memories in his mind, including those of Starfire. But I can also tell he is telling the absolute truth as he sees it. For some reason, it seems he cannot access those memories. I do not understand why.**}}

"Same here, Rae. I can see…sort of…his memories, but, but…something's wrong. It's like, almost like a kind of a short circuit or something, except purely mental. No physical damage that I can tell."

Kitten re-entered the room. "I gave her a sedative. Took a lot to knock her out, but she's been through so many shocks lately, I figured it was called for. Athena's staying with her, for now."

Robin had been quiet all throughout the exchange. Then, "Look, everybody. While I'm not completely sure what's going on here, it seems clear that something's… still wrong with me. I don't remember anything about this 'Starfire' person…and you're telling me we're engaged. So I'm going under the assumption that all is most definitely not well with me, even yet.

"Until this matter is resolved, one way or another, I'm unfit for command." He got up off the table and approached Raven, removing his commbadge in the process. "Raven, you're in charge." And he placed the badge in Raven's hand, curling her fingers over it.

Raven goggled at him, mouth agape. "Are you out of your—I mean, are you _serious_? I can't be leader!"

"You've got as much experience as anyone here, and you're the best suited to it, temperamentally, of any of us."Cyborg and Hank were both nodding in approval; they'd come to the same conclusion. "Besides, from what all of you have been telling me, you've been doing the job while I was out anyway. This just makes it official. So…you're it. Now. Omega? Do you suppose the Kindred might have any answers?"

"I shall ask." But privately, the Osiran doubted that even the Kindred's science could prove any more effective than the Orb. Still, it was something to try.

And there was another benefit. Given Robin's natural proclivity for leadership, his being examined by the Kindred—and away from the Tower-would cut down on the friction that would undoubtedly arise, should he remain here at the Tower, with anybody but himself in charge.

Plus, it would give Starfire something to hope for. Omega did not doubt for one minute that, right now, the Tameranean princess needed all the hope she could get. "I'll take you to them right away."

…

Afterwards, Raven called an emergency meeting. The only Titans not present were Terra and Beast Boy, of course, and Robin and Starfire, who was still sleeping in her quarters. They couldn't keep her like that, thought Raven. But…worse case scenario: what if Robin's memories of her remained permanently gone? How would she cope with that?

Raven had little doubt but that she'd leave, and return to Tameran. She just didn't see the emotional alien princess as remaining here on Earth, where she would be faced with a constant reminder of what she'd lost. There was no way she'd be able to stand being around Robin, not with him looking at her as though she were a complete stranger. And she would probably blame herself.

The team could very well be in the process of breaking up. Raven didn't want that to happen, but she wasn't sure if there was any help for it or not.

There were some large gaps in the table. Haywire, Cyborg, Athena, Kitten (_Devil Cat,_ Raven corrected herself), Omega, and Athena comprised the only members of the team able to attend. The table sure seemed a lot emptier without Robin and Starfire, Raven thought. She hoped she didn't look as nervous as she felt. "Well, I suppose you all know about…recent events. Omega? Did Alpha say anything about, well, about anything?"

"He said they would do what they could. But the Kindred are, of course, somewhat unacquainted with human biology, though they are learning. If there is an organic cause for Robin's memory loss, I am sure they will find it."

"Good. Athena?"

"Starfire is sleeping, Raven. Kitten—and my own experience—tells me she will be out for a while. What her state of mind will be when she wakes up, of course, that no one can say."

"Any word on the honeymooners?"

"Blackfire reports all clear. They're actually getting out of the hotel room, going on tours. She's been following them, discreetly, of course, but so far, everything seems to be okay."

Raven sighed, leaning her elbow on the table and rubbing her eyes. She knew it was just the stress, but she felt like she'd gone a week without sleep. "I…hope all of you know me well enough to know that this is something I never wanted. But…we…must continue, to the best of our abilities. And, right now, especially with Gar and Terra also gone, we're only at partial strength. We may want to give some thought to bringing in, at least temporarily, some of our reservists. This is just the sort of thing we need them for. I'll have to draw up new, revised duty rosters for all of us. Ones that I fervently hope will be temporary. We may have to double up on some sectors. As if we weren't already overworked. Does anyone have any more information to be shared with the group? Kitten? Any luck with the virus? Or the transponder?"

Kitten shook her head. "Nope, and nope. Daddy says that the virus the retrovirus was mutated from—Ebola Hemorrhagic Fever—isn't quite the same as Ebola Zaire. It appears to be just a little off. But off in the wrong way; it's perfectly adapted to humans. He's thinking it was deliberately redesigned that way. Standard Ebola Zaire isn't really tailored for humans; this _is._

"And the transponder—if that's what it is—has remained completely inert. We've checked and rechecked it for anything and everything we can think of. The obvious possibility—that it was what activated or in some way directed whatever bug, presumably a mosquito, that bit me and planted the retrovirus—doesn't seem to be its function. And, like Blackfire said, it's too odd-looking to have been there very long. Certainly not since my transformation."

"Alright. Omega? Any news about these gates that Lucifer—and maybe whoever else we're dealing with-seems able to open at will?"

"No. Neither I nor the Kindred have been able to come up with anything solid that would warn or shield us against the opening of another gate. It is…disheartening," he began, "to be unable to come up with any really good defense…although we have been able to determine that certain properly applied forces may assist in 'locking' these subatomic vortices closed. Mind you, it's not fool-proof, but it does provide some level of security."

"Good. Implement those both here, and in Slade's old lair….and that's another thing: we don't need to let that go to waste. Devil Cat, can you and Cyborg see to refitting it so that it's up and functional, for us? Right now, our numbers are too few to really make proper use of it, but hopefully that will change. And it's always helpful to have a reserve or spare headquarters. After all, something could happen to this one. Something nearly did, once or twice already."

"Sure. And maybe Haywire can help, too, what with his control over subatomic particles…"

"I need Hank here. Okay. I'll draw up the duty roster….I guess that's all for now. So unless anybody has anything else…no?...then, we're adjourned."

Hank followed her out into the corridor. "What _do_ you need me here for, Raven?" he asked, curious. "I_ could_ be of use in getting that lair fully functional…"

They'd reached Raven's room. "Come on in, Hank." Once inside, she turned to him. "Hank…I, I don't quite know how to say this, but, but the truth is…not so much that the team needs you here as it is….as it is _I_ need you here."

He took her in his arms. "Okay, I see. So…let's talk about what's going on, with you." They moved to the couch, but a make-out session was the furthest thing from either of their minds.

"It's just….Hank, I'm no leader! I don't know what to do! I, I never saw this coming! I, I don't…." She trailed off.

He held her close. "You're doing it again, Rae." She looked up at him. "Selling yourself short. Don't. You're perfectly qualified to lead the team."

"Why not Cyborg? He's got just as much experience as I do…and he _knows_ what to do, whereas I'm fumbling around in the dark!"

"Cyborg's gonna be on tech support, with Omega and Athena. He won't have time. And, Rae, I mean it when I say you are the best qualified of us all to be the leader. Cyborg doesn't know any better what to do than you do. It's just, you've convinced yourself that _you_ don't know what to do, and so therefore, by comparison , he's _gotta_ know more. But he doesn't."

They sat there for a moment. Then, Raven spoke up. "I, I just don't know if I can _do_ it or not. I don't see myself as leadership material…"

"Well, FYI, you've already got the one thing that every leader needs, that every leader, everywhere, absolutely has to have. That makes or breaks a leader." Again, she looked up at him. "Followers. Every one of us is prepared to follow you, Rae. So you are our leader, like it or not. It may be only temporary, but, if not, then so be it…I know _I'm_ behind you, one hundred ten percent. And so are the others." And here he curled a finger under her chin, raising her face to his. "And it's the function of followers to support their leaders. So you aren't alone in this. Don't think you always have to make the right decisions, 'cause all leaders stumble, at times. But that doesn't mean they ceased to be leaders, now did it? You know how many mistakes George Washington made? Or Abraham Lincoln? Well, neither do I. But my point is, nobody remembers them for that. They remember them for keeping on keeping on, sometimes in the face of terrible adversity." He took a kleenex to her face, drying her tears. Raven had never used makeup, not wanting to bother with such "pointless frivolity," as she'd called it, and, had she been totally honest with herself, not feeling like it would really do _her_ face any good. _It's amazing how she can look so good without makeup—_thought Hank. But it was true.

Now if he could just convince _Raven_ of that….

"So here. Dry your eyes, blow your nose, and let's get to work on those duty rosters, 'kay?"

She put a hand on his chest, a secret thrill running up her arm as she felt the solid muscle beneath his shirt. "Thank you. Uhm, Hank? I know I haven't been a very good, uhm, friend to you…"

He cut her off, an anguished expression on his face. "Now, Raven. _Please_ don't start with that 'I'm not good enough for you' speech again. I've told you, time and again, you're more than worth it. And you know I'm telling the truth. _I _believe it, the others believe it…the only one who _doesn't _believe it is you. So the majority rules: you are, okay? Take it from all of us."

She smiled, a rare thing for her. "I suppose I can accommodate you on that, sir." Impulsively, she kissed him. He looked surprised, but kissed her right back…

_To be continued…_


	15. Chapter 15: Memories

Tales of the Titans: Crucible, Chapter 15: Memories

A little over a mile in the air over New Zealand: "Hello? Oh, hey, Athena! Yeah, things are pretty quiet here. They got out today, seeing some sights. I'm in the air now, following their bus. It's almost like they're trying to make up for lost time. Though I really think they both know they've already seen the _best_ sights….yeah, I know, I'm doin' it again. Say what? Robin's out of the Orb? That's great! How's he doing?" A pause. "Oh, my goddess. How-how's she taking it? Well, _yeah,_ I know she's a basket ca—sedated? It was _that_ bad?" Pause. "Well, _shit._ It seems like it's one thing after another. Yeah, she'll probably leave, once she wakes up. I know my sister, and I don't see her as staying around, not with…all that. You really think the Kindred can help Robin? Yeah, me neither. I wonder why he can't remember her? I would've thought he'd remember her, even if he forgot everybody else…" Another pause. "So his memories seem to be there, but for some reason, he can't…get to them? That's weird.

"So who's in charge, now?" Another pause. "Yeah, she is the logical choice. How's _she_ taking _that_? Yeah, that's Little Miss Hard-on-herself all over. Whoops, gotta go, they're changing buses…"

Kitten paused outside the door to Omega's room. She and Cyborg had put in a long day refitting Slade's former lair to suit their own needs, and she was looking forward to a little R and R. Well, she smiled naughtily, maybe not so much _rest_ as a whole lot of _recreation_. Once, of course, she got showered and freshened up.

While she and Omega hadn't exactly moved in together—Kitten liked her independence—she could see the day coming when they would. How would it feel, she wondered, to go to sleep each night beside him, and wake up the next day, with him right there? The notion sent a tingle up and down her spine. Unconsciously, the tip of her tail twitched.

But just as soon as she opened the door—Omega having long ago given her the passcode—she knew something was wrong, something was off. Way, way off. Just as Raven had, not long ago, gotten off an elevator, only to be met by palpable waves of emotion emanating from Omega, so, too, to a lesser degree, did Kitten now sense something very much amiss.

Omega was sitting in his specially reinforced chair—little more than some padding over a solid steel block—staring at the wall. She knew, what with his senses, he _could_ be watching a movie, or somebody's television set, or anything, 'way across the bay, in town, but she also knew, somehow, that he wasn't even seeing the wall of his room. He just sat there, head propped on his arm, doing something she'd never seen him do before: chewing on a knuckle. Just like she'd seen Robin do, on so many occasions. She noted, idly, that he was still wearing his uniform. That no longer surprised her.

When they had first become an item, in a serious sense, she'd insisted on taking him clothes-shopping. After all, he needed a change of clothes, civilian garb, didn't he? He had agreed, but had never been persuaded to actually wear them. It wasn't until later that she came to know and to understand why he always wore that uniform.

The Osiran Empire had, at its apex, spanned nearly an entire universe, and it had once stood for something great. It was true, his people were conquerors, and had conquered many, if not all, of the galaxies in his old universe, but that conquest had brought the rule of law to many barbarous systems. The Empire had established order, peace, and civilization over a vast expanse of their old universe. Under the fair and just rule of the original Lords, many, many people had gone from the law of the jungle to the law of justice. Many positive things had flourished: the arts, the sciences, knowledge, and, for those civilizations under them, freedom under the law to so many. The Lords had not been cruel, not all of them; for the most part, theirs had been a benevolent but unyielding governorship. Under Osiran rule, the weak no longer had to fear the strong, for both were subject to Osiran law. Theirs had been a great people, and done many great things. It was only in their decadence, in the time of the Great Civil War, the time of the Ending, that some Lords had become the tyrants they were, seeking power for its own sake, at the expense of those they ruled.

The Osirans had had no flags, no national anthems, no pledges of allegiance. That uniform had been enough. That uniform had once meant protection of the weaker ones from those who would exploit them, use them. That uniform had stood for something once, something noble, great and good.

It was in memory of the vanished glory of his people that he wore it now. It was self-cleaning, self-repairing, and adjusted to his every move and position.

It stood for a time when the strong protected the weak, and a civilization unlike anything humans had ever known, or ever imagined, had flourished. He wore it in memory of his once-magnificent people. She guessed she could understand that.

She came over and knelt beside him. "Penny for 'em."

For a moment, he was silent. Then, "Kitten, I am…tired."

"Tired?" She knew he didn't mean "tired" in the human sense; Osiran warriors don't _get_ tired.

He got up and went to the window, overlooking the bay. Omega's room was a bit larger than one of the standard rooms, mostly because when he'd first moved in, he'd knocked out the wall between his room and the one next to it, resulting in a larger living space. At the time, there had been plenty of empty rooms in the Tower, so this gave him room for experiments, equipment, and other things that, for whatever reasons, he didn't want to leave in his laboratory down in the basement. _There's room enough in here for us both,_ thought Kitten. There was no doubt in her mind that was coming, but on _her_ schedule.

"I'm…_tired,_ Kitten, of seeing people I care about getting…hurt. And—and not being able to do anything about it." He looked down at himself, clenching his fists in front of him. "First, you. Then, Athena. Now Robin and Starfire. And for all my power, for all the knowledge I possess, I—I can't do a _damn_ thing about it!"

_This is bad_, thought Kitten. Omega _never_ cursed. For him to do so must mean he was at his wits' end.

And she could see where he was coming from. On their home worlds, most of the extraterrestrial beings known as "superheroes" here on Earth, hadn't really had powers that were all that unique: on long-vanished Krypton (or, for that matter, any planet under a red sun), Superman would have been just an average joe. J'onn J'onzz, the Martian Manhunter, didn't have any powers that set him apart from other Martians. Many others were much the same way.

But Omega—and Athena, she amended—_did_ have powers even among his (and her) own kind. They were used to being able to use those powers and the knowledge they had to do whatever it was that needed doing, to solve whatever problems arose. "I think you mean 'frustrated,' 'Mega. I can understand that." She got up and crossed over to him, laying her head on his shoulder. "Seems like every time you turn around, somebody's getting it, right where it hurts the most, right? And you feel powerless. And, and maybe you feel a little afraid. Afraid of what's gonna happen _next_."

He sighed, turned and held her. "Yes, maybe that's it. I, I don't know what to do. Kitten, this group, this team, has become perhaps the closest thing to _family_ I've ever known. Such things—even the very _concepts_ for such things-didn't exist in the Empire, not for us, anyway. There were certain bonds, it was true; bonds of loyalty and honor. But now…now the only real family I've ever known is being torn apart, by forces I can't do anything about. Raven—and the others—are convinced that Starfire will leave, once she regains consciousness. And they're right, she of course will. And there's no telling how all this is going to affect her, even after she leaves. She's practically one big ball of emotions as it is, and this is pretty much the worst thing that _could _happen to her. She might never recover. She—" he paused—"she might even _do _something to herself. We don't know. Garfield and Terra are already in semi-retirement; now, I can understand they need the time to devote themselves to raising a family of their own, I don't—I can't-fault them for that—and, and I don't know what else is going to happen. And you're right: I guess I _am_ afraid."

She delighted at the sensual feel of his body pressed up against hers. She wanted him, but realized this might not be the best time for it. Knowing that, she felt her own desire abate, somewhat, become something else, something more supportive. "Well, 'Mega, I guess it's a time of transition. We can get more members—I guess we can always get more members—but the original lineup is changing. We can do what we can to help Starfire—I admit, that's a legitimate concern, like you say. But about the rest, there's really nothing we can do about that."

He pulled away. She could practically feel the emotions warring within him, and was worried; Osirans didn't have a lot of self-control. He'd once KO'd Raven from nearly a thousand miles away. "I don't believe that. There's got to be something. I couldn't save you. I couldn't save Athena from being…used like she was; I didn't even know it was happening at the time. And now this." He moved away from the window and from her. "There's _got_ to be something I can do. There's just _got_ to be." He looked off, but Kitten could tell he wasn't seeing anything. It worried her how he couldn't seem to accept that things were changing. Wasn't that, in a way, the beginning hallmark of insanity? "Why would Robin not remember Starfire? Why _only_ Starfire? What could it possibly be? I feel like there's something there that I'm just not seeing." She could literally _feel_ his frustration building. He went over to the desk, and picked up a sheaf of reports: everything about Robin's brain had checked out completely normal. The Kindred had even been able to isolate and identify those particular neural patterns that housed his memories of his life before the accident, including those specifically about Starfire; they were undamaged. There was absolutely no reason why he should not remember. Yet he did not. "Lords _blast_ it!" he roared, throwing the reports into the garbage can by the desk. The can was slammed across the room, to lie on its side by the wall.

She came up and put her arms around him from behind. It was odd how safe she felt, considering his power, and the rage he evidently felt. Yet she knew he would never hurt her. "'Mega, you're startin' ta scare me, a little. C'mon. Calm down, will ya?"

Again he turned and embraced her. Just the simple act of holding her seemed to help. "But _why_ does he not remember? I can't fathom it, Kitten. I just can't."

"Well, maybe, in a weird sort of way, it's actually a kind of blessing in disguise. I mean, if, God forbid, something similar happened between _us…_"

His hold on her tightened slightly. "That will never happen. Never."

_Never say never,_ she thought to herself, for some odd reason. "Anyway, if somehow, something similar happened between us, and I survived it, like he did, I sure as hell wouldn't _want_ to remember it."

He pushed her back a moment, and looked at her, startled. "Kitten. That's it! That's the only possible reason!" He kissed her. "You're a genius!"

"Well, hey, I know that, but what'd I say?"

"That's got to be it! He doesn't remember because, subconsciously, he doesn't _want_ to remember! His mind can't accept the fact that the one he loves so much would turn on him the way she did—he doesn't know about the crystal—and it over-compensates by blanking out every memory of her! It's the only possible explanation!" He let her go, and began pacing. "But what to do about it? It's basically a repressed memory…I suppose a good psychiatrist or, or, hypnotist could get him to remember, only there's no _time. _ Or…." And here he stopped, as though thunderstruck, his eyes widening, staring off into the distance, again seeing nothing of the world in front of him.

Kitten was already on her T-cell. "Athena? Get up here to Omega's room, ASAP. He's about to do something crazy." Within moments, Athena phased through the door. She took one look at her friend, and turned to Kitten. "You're right. That's the look. He _is_ about to do something crazy."

Kitten turned to her lover. "Okay, 'Mega. Spill. What are you planning?"

"It's a long shot, but…."

"'But'?"

"Think about it, both of you. Robin cannot remember Starfire because he _doesn't_ _want_ to believe she'd hurt him. So his conscious mind blanks out any memory of her. As far as his memory goes, she doesn't exist. And never did. All because, if this theory is right, he doesn't _want_ to remember. Now, I mean, Robin's got an exceptionally keen and powerful mind, no question about that, but, still, he _is_ human, and has some limitations."

"Okaaaay…" They both chorused, watching him suspiciously.

"But that has to do with his emotions, not his mental acuity. His emotions are the key. The pain—the emotional pain—he feels when thinking about the incident causes him to subconsciously edit his own memories. Understand?

"And these crystals _affect emotions._"

Both their eyes widened. "Omega…."began Kitten, "I don't know about these crystals or anything, but, but it doesn't really sound…workable. Doable. Whatever the term is, I mean. _Wise. _It's—it's like using a hammer instead of a scalpel. In fact, it sounds downright dangerous."

"She's right. What you're suggesting is using the broad-range effect of the crystals to affect very specific memories. But this effect…it's too non-specific. You need something you can focus better. I doubt even the Kindred could apply the effect to just those memories properly. Human biopsychology is just too far beyond their experience."

"But not beyond Lucifer's."

_To be continued…_


	16. Chapter 16: Trials

Tales of the Titans: Crucible, Chapter 16: Trials

New Zealand: Terra awoke to find her husband sitting up in bed, staring at nothing. She yawned; she recognized the signs by now. "Why don't you call her?"

He looked around, startled. "What? Call who?"

Another yawn. He'd kept her busy right before they both went to sleep the previous night. Weren't demons supposed to be especially, uhm, vigorous? _This_ half-demon sure was. _Better not let that get out,_ she thought with a dirty smile, _or every girl will be wanting one. And I am __not__ sharing. _"You know who. You were distracted all day yesterday," she took a look at the clock: it was 6:24 AM. "Except for last night, of course. I got your full attention then." She leaned up, wrapped her arms around him and kissed his shoulder. "But I don't think you even noticed that beautiful countryside on the tour yesterday."

"Tour?"

"Thaaaaat's what I thought. So go ahead and call her, see what's got you so worried."

He lay back, taking her with him, and sighed. "Am I _that_ obvious?

"To me, yeah. So go ahead. Call her. Make sure nobody's died or about to or something. Truth to tell, I'm a little concerned, too. Usually, if you're concerned, there's good reason."

He kissed her. "Well, not just yet, anyway. It's probably not even morning over there. Give her the chance to get a little more sleep. You know how Raven is about her sleep."

"Good. That gives me time to get in some…exercise." She kissed him back, moving steadily downward; she could already feel his arousal. "You know I'm a morning person…."

….

Raven woke up, her T-cell chiming. She yawned herself awake, sat up in bed, and reached for the device, sitting on her nightstand. Only half awake, she didn't even notice the caller ID. "Yes? Who is it?"

"_Okay, Rae. Spill."_

"G-garfield?" She sat up on the side of her bed, surprise waking her the rest of the way up. It was still nighttime outside. "What-what are you doing calling at this hour? For that matter, what are you doing calling at all? Aren't you two still on your-*"

"_Yeah, we're both still in New Zealand. But I already know something's wrong. I can tell. You know I can. Do you really wanna play twenty questions?"_

"Garfield, you really shouldn't be concerning yourself with-*"

"_Don't make me come outta this phone, Rae."_

She sighed, rolling her eyes slightly. The days when she could intimidate him were loooong past. "It's really nothing that you can do anything about, Gar. There'll be plenty of time to fill you both in when you get-*"

"_Honey, Rae's not cooperating. How fast can we book the next flight back-*"_

"No! Okay, already, I'll tell you! Azar, but you're stubborn." _And that's one more thing I love about you._ "You'll see, it's nothing either of you can do anything about." And she filled them in on the recent events, the golden rose outside of Athena and Blackfire's door, their acquisition of Slade's old lair, the mosquito in their old room, Athena and Blackfire going to investigate, Blackfire's wounding, her subsequent stay in the Orb, the discovery of the crystals (though without mentioning any names; she figured Tara had enough problems as it was), the effect the crystal had on Starfire…and Robin's wounding ("_Oh, my god!_"), his stay in the Orb, and his release. And then…she drew a deep breath, and told them about his memory loss.

There was silence on the other end of the phone for a moment. Then, _"Okay, Rae, we're on our way back."_

"No, no. Don't. Seriously. There's nothing either of you could d-*" But she was talking to a dead phone. He'd already hung up. She sighed, looking at the phone, and was distracted by the sound of loud voices from outside. It sounded like shouting, Kitten's voice, blended with Athena's and Omega's. She went to her door, throwing on her robe as she did so.

The trio stood in the hallway outside, with Kitten's face a dark red, and Athena's showing a definite silver color: an Osiran flush.

"Will you two just _stop_ and _listen_ to me?" Omega was saying. This must be unusual, Raven noted, for this trio to get so worked up. "It's the _only way._ You both know that when Starfire regains consciousness, she'll pack her bags and leave. And can you blame her?

"The only way, the _only_ way to prevent this from happening is if we somehow restore Robin's memory, and _right now_. And there's only one person in all creation who could possibly do that! You both _know_ I'm telling the truth!"

"But-*"

"You don't-*"

"_Hold it, people._ Now. What's going on out here?" Raven demanded. She checked her watch, a wind-up affair Beast Boy had given her some years ago. "It's…Azar, it's four thirty in the morning! What ever are you three arguing about?"

"We're trying to keep Mr. Thickskull here," Kitten gestured to Omega, "from making the Biggest Mistake of his Entire Life." The way she said it, Raven could hear the capital letters.

"And that would be?"

"Raven." Omega turned, almost beseechingly to her. "I've a theory. Unproven, true. But it fits the facts. Robin cannot remember Starfire because he doesn't _want_ to remember her. He doesn't want to remember that the one he loves hurt him. So he blanks her out. Not consciously, of course. But that's the key! He has to _want_ to remember! And that means fine-tuning his emotions. And I only know of one person who _might_ have the ability, the technology, the know-how, to do that: Lucifer."

"So your solution is to seek the help of the _enemy?_ What makes you think he—we're assuming it's a 'he,' and not an 'it,' or something even stranger—would do so?"

"I don't know. I'll have to come up with something."

"Omega." Athena expressive face registered her concern. "This Lucifer is a very dangerous foe, quite possibly one of the most dangerous you or I have ever faced. His main strength lies in knowing _our_ strengths…and our weaknesses. And he seems to know them quite well. It is foolhardy to attempt to venture into enemy territory when you know nothing about the enemy, and the enemy knows altogether too much about _you_. You've always been one of the luckiest beings I've ever known—but luck has its limits. This…this is bordering on a suicide mission."

"Okay, stop! All of you!" Raven held her head. This was all too much for this hour of the morning. And Raven was most definitely _not_ a morning person. Especially _this _early in the morning. "We'll have this discussion at breakfast. It can wait until then."

"That's just it, Raven, it _can't._ You know about human psychology; the more Robin _thinks_, and _does not_ remember Starfire, the more deeply that pattern of thought will become ingrained. And we can't keep Starfire in a drugged stupor; that would probably hurt her, and wouldn't be right, anyway. We have to act _now._"

"Well…." Athena looked guilty. "_Actually,_ we've a bit more time than all that. Without going into specifics, let's just say that both Robin and Starfire somehow managed to find their way into stasis fields. 'Kinda sorta,' as the Earth saying goes."

"You put them into _stasis fields?_" goggled Kitten. No time passes in a stasis field; objects (or people) within one will remain the same until the end of time itself. It was the ultimate in long-term storage. Athena shifted uncomfortably, but Omega nodded approvingly.

"Well, that gives us some lee way, but we still must act as quickly as we can.

"Okay, let me see if I have this straight," said Kitten. "You are _desperate,_ yes, that's the only word, _desperate_ to restore Robin and Starfire's relationship, so your _solution_ is to rush _headlong _into_ the very goddam heart _of our_ enemy's stronghold_, who apparently can _play you like a violin,_ and, and what? _Ask him nicely_ to restore Robin's memory? Doesn't that seem just a little, uhm, _stupid_ to you?" She was out of breath from shouting.

"I don't _intend_ to ask him. No, there's no way I'd do that. He'd be tampering with Robin's memories, his _mind,_ and we certainly couldn't trust him to do that. Robin might come back a homicidal monster. No, look. He can apparently induce memories, or at least thoughts, into people who never had them. People like you, for example. He induced thoughts, memories in me that I know I never had-*

"He did?" Athena's eyebrow shot up. "When was this?"

"Doesn't matter. The point is, he can apparently fine-tune the effect. All I need is a couple of minutes alone, uninterrupted, with his computer system, to download his data on such a process onto a memory cube. It won't matter about the level of encryption; if I can't break it, I'm certain the Kindred can. Then we can use the same process to restore Robin's memory. I admit, it's not a perfect plan, it's got some pitfalls, but-*"

"That's the understatement of the millennium!" exploded Kitten, her temper getting the better of her. "You, you think you're just going to be able to waltz into his complex, walk right up to his mainframe, and do whatever you want, without him doing anything about it? That's gotta be the _stupidest_ plan I've _ever_ heard! The absolute _stupidest! _And you've _gotta _be stupid if you think that'll work! Stupid, muscle-bound, micro-brained, short-sighted, immature, self-centered…." She ran out of words and breath at the same time. The others were staring at her.

If she'd slapped him, she couldn't have produced a more startled expression on his face. "I…Kitten? Is…is that what you really believe? About me?"

Kitten's fury decreased somewhat, as the others turned to look at her. That _had_ come across as a bit much, even given her present state of mind. Was that really how she saw things? "I…"

He sagged, there in the hallway, a silhouette against the plate glass window. His head hung. "I…it…may well be you're right. I don't know anymore, Kitten. I…I don't know anything anymore." And without another word, he flew up, phasing through the ceiling, and disappearing into the night.

"Omega, wait! I…..

"I…didn't….mean it…"

_To be continued…_


	17. Chapter 17: Hurts

Tales of the Titans: Crucible, Chapter 17: Hurts

When a star larger than Earth's sun explodes, it explodes both outward and inward, in an implosion. The outer mass of the star is blasted off in a cosmic fury. But what happens to the fragment left behind is even more cataclysmic and a great deal stranger.

For the implosion, the gravity, and the lack of any ongoing fusion reaction to keep the atoms apart, crushes the electron shells of the atoms down into the nucleus, where the protons combine with them to form a substance human scientists have labeled _neutronium_. This is not a metal, but a superfluid, akin to water, but many billions of times denser, composed mostly of neutrons, with the exception of a few stray particles. It is one of the densest states of matter that can exist in the eleven-dimensioned reality known as the universe. A single piece of neutronium the size of a sugar cube can weigh billions of tons. The gravity of this stellar fragment—which may be smaller than the Earth-is strong enough to warp spacetime itself, tearing everything around it apart, drawing everything within its range down onto its surface—and annihilation. There is no possibility for the star to be reborn; within the neutron star, there are only neutrons, and, deep within, possibly what is known as "strange matter." It is a star's grave.

It was upon such a glowing-hot grave that Omega now sat, his own natural force-fields fighting the immense gravitational pull, and wondering. Kitten's words had hurt. They had hurt a lot.

Omega, for all his time on Earth, and all his familiarity with the human race, was still, at the end of the day, an alien in the world of men. He wasn't used to a lot of things most humans took for granted, and personal relationships, especially intimate ones, were still new to him.

Stupid? Muscle-bound? Muscle-_bound? _He wasn't altogether too sure what that last one was, but it didn't sound anywhere near complimentary. And immature? What did _that_ mean? It couldn't possibly refer to his biological development; he would never have been decanted in anything less than a reasonably mature state.

Did Kitten really see him that way? She'd said the words, and the human notion that she might have been simply angry and saying things she didn't mean never occurred to him. All he knew, or thought he knew, was, she had told him what she thought about him. Maybe in her anger she had said what she'd secretly been feeling in her heart all along.

Maybe she'd just been using him. After all, how could someone such as her, as beautiful and intelligent, ever really develop strong feelings for a person whom she viewed as stupid, immature, microbrained, and all the other things she'd said? He wasn't unfamiliar with the concept of being used; after all, the Lords had used him as a soldier. He'd been accustomed to that, as were all other warriors, and so thought nothing about it at the time.

But now…

Why would she say that, unless she believed it? And how could she love him, if she believed all that?

Words, he was discovering, can hurt worse than any weapon ever conceived. Far worse.

He remembered a time, a dim time, back almost farther than he _could_ remember, when everything had been so simple. He just did as he was told. He didn't worry about _right_ or _wrong. _ He didn't worry about other people, or what they thought or felt. He simply _obeyed._

And now, as Kitten had said, the old order was changing. He couldn't see Robin as returning to any kind of active duty, anywhere, in his current state, not with his own self-doubts. And Starfire would leave, Beast Boy and Terra would no longer be as available as they had been. That left Raven, Cyborg, and Hank as basically the last members of the original team, as he remembered it.

Was it true, that he simply couldn't stand to see things change, to see the world and time move on? Did that lie at the core of his desire to restore Robin's memory? Was _that_ what she meant by "immature"?

And himself…? Where did he fit in, in this new social arrangement, this new team? _Did_ he fit in?

And what Kitten had said…really hurt. He could literally _feel_ it, there in the middle of his chest, a kind of ache which he knew had no basis in physiology, but nonetheless was there.

Had she said what she said _deliberately_ to hurt him? Had that been the idea? If so, it had certainly worked. But why would she have wanted to do something like that? He couldn't imagine any circumstance under which he'd want to hurt her.

There was a way, he remembered, a way to do away with all emotion within him. A mental exercise he could employ to excise all emotion from himself, to become a totally logical, rational being, with no emotions of any kind to hurt him anymore. He would no longer be the person he'd come to be, here in this world, or in his old universe. Rather, in a sense, he'd be a flesh-and-blood computer, obeying the dictates of logic as he saw them. Of course, the process was irreversible.

Perhaps things would be better that way.

He began to make preparations for the process….

Kitten sat alone back at Titans' Tower, in her room. She'd long ago cried out all the tears she could, at least for now.

Why in _hell's_ name had she said those things? She hadn't meant a one of them. But her anger, fueled by her fear, her fear of him going up against a foe that had already proved to be so dangerous, had put words in her mouth she'd never meant to say, would never have said in any other circumstances.

And now Omega was gone, gone beyond the reach of any of their sensors. Athena had called to him over Link, but he hadn't answered. Even the Orb couldn't find him. So that meant he must be…somewhere very, very far away, maybe not even in the same universe anymore.

_Why_ had she done that? She'd called him "immature." In truth, _she_ was the one who was immature. _She_ was the one who couldn't keep her mouth shut, who couldn't control herself enough to keep from calling the one man in all creation she'd ever really loved the most hurtful names she could think of. If she'd been _trying_ to drive him away, she couldn't have done a better job.

Memory: _She woke up, feeling like she'd slept for ages. Funny; she was half-way expecting that she would be a little tired still, as she had been up late last night with her latest scheme…_

_Wait. It was full daylight outside, the kind of daylight that only comes with the noonday sun. She'd missed school! Why hadn't daddy awakened her? No doubt he was still doing something with his stupid moths downstairs and didn't even know it was daylight himself. Sometimes she truly believed he loved them more than he loved her._

_Frantically, she dove out of bed…and noticed her arms. Rather than being their normal color, they were a bright crimson red._

_She rushed into her bathroom and looked into her mirror. She didn't recognize the blond-haired red-skinned creature staring back at her. She put a hand to her mouth—her mouth felt funny, like someone had novacained it or something. She tried to scream, but it came out funny, a sort of gargling, hissing sound. That's when she realized her tongue was gone. _

_And what was this she was wearing, anyhow? Some kind of old fashioned nightgown? She didn't even own such a thing, and wouldn't be caught dead in it if she had. It looked like something somebody's grandmother would wear._

_She'd rushed out of her room, instinctively seeking her father, all the while wondering at that curious sense that something was wrong, was different about her backside. Something seemed to be pulling on it, or it seemed heavier than she remembered. In her distress, she didn't take the time to try to figure out what it was._

_Her father, alerted by that sixth sense parents have that tells them something is wrong with their children, had come up from his basement lab. When he saw the red-skinned creature rushing towards him, he automatically dropped into a defensive stance; he didn't recognize his own daughter. Then he noticed the blond hair…and saw the terrified expression._

_She grabbed him, still making those gargling sounds that she couldn't control—and he suddenly sagged in her grip. With a sensation like someone falling off a cliff, she realized she'd actually __stung__ him with a __thing__ projecting out of her lower back, a horrid looking __tail__… Later on, she'd never be able to say why she didn't faint, or even if she had._

_Somehow, she found her cell. She didn't remember going back into her room to get it; she didn't think she could have made herself go back in there, that was where the nightmare had begun. But who to call? And how? __She __couldn't __talk__..._

_Her mind not working right, she pulled up "recent" calls on the menu…the last person she'd called was Omega…through her anguish, her distress, she barely had enough sense to text one word: "help!"_

_And he'd come. Seen to her father's care, and carried her back to the Tower, and tended to her there. Ever since then, she couldn't imagine him being anything other than gentle with her._

_And another thing, another horrid memory, or, really, a fear, that she'd never told anyone about, not even Omega: the fact that she was no longer in her pink pajamas, but was wearing this stupid nightgown, meant that at some point, somebody had taken her pajamas off of her. They had to have. Somebody had seen her without any clothes on, when she was helpless to do anything about it. Somebody had seen her naked. There was no doubt whatsoever in her mind that that person had been male. And an ancient fear that all women possess had surfaced, and the first time he stepped out, she'd zipped into the bathroom and examined herself, to try and make sure she was…okay. That nobody had…done anything to her while she was out. But how would she tell? She wasn't bruised or sore anywhere…_

_Of course, she'd never told anyone that. It didn't go with the "tough girl" persona she tried to project. But everybody has their limits, everybody has their fears. Sometimes those fears can possess a person. But his calming presence, just him being there, accepting her as she was, had eased those fears, and while they didn't go away, they became something she could bear. So long as he was there. So long as they were together._

_And then she hadda go and shoot her big mouth off._

And now…now she didn't know. She didn't know how she knew, but she felt he was in some incredible danger, she didn't know from where or what. But she couldn't find him, or contact him, or, or anything. She couldn't do _anything_, anything to help. She knew there were many, many dangers she could do nothing about, but somehow, she knew this wasn't one of them. If she could only get in touch with him someway…

So she just sat there in her room, on her bed, legs crossed, clutching a pillow to her. She hadn't gone to any of the others; truth was, she was embarrassed. Totally. She'd really lost it, there in the hallway, right there in front of everybody. It was as if her mouth was running on autopilot or something. She couldn't blame him for leaving. She was beginning to understand how Starfire must feel. A twenty-megaton nuke couldn't have made a dent in him, but her words…

A deathly fear gripped her as she _knew_, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that something was happening, or about to happen, that…that would be terrible. Something to do with _him._ And she couldn't do anything about it.

Was he about to _hurt_ himself? How? He was invulnerable. He couldn't slash his wrists, or drink poison, or shoot himself in the head…besides, she couldn't see him as doing something as unsophisticated as that. He wasn't the type to kill himself, but try as she might, she couldn't escape the notion that whatever was about to happen was somehow _worse _than any of those things. "Orb! Any luck? Can you locate him?" she asked, for what had to be about the hundredth time.

{{**I have sensed patterns of thought that may be indicative of him. But if so, he is in a very dangerous place.**}}

"What? Where?"

{{**He is currently on the surface of a neutron star. That is a fragment of a star that-*}}**

"I _know_ what a neutron star is! And he's on it? What's he doing there?"

{{**Disturbed. I am disturbed. It seems he is about to implement a mental exercise that will eliminate all emotion from him, forever.**}}

"No! What's he _thinking?!_"

{{**I cannot tell; the radiation from the strange matter in the interior of the neutron star interferes with-***}}

"That's a rhetorical question, Orb!" She made up her mind. "Orb, send me to him. Now."

{{**The gravity would crush you instantly!**}}

"Screw the gravity. You can protect me, can't you?"

{{**From this distance, only for a little while. Are you sure this is wise, Kitten?**}}

"No, but I'm gonna do it anyway." She went over to her closet and got out one single object from within. "Okay, I'm ready."

Omega was just about to begin the process of purging himself of his emotions when Kitten just appeared, right in front of him. Before he could overcome his surprise and say anything, she ran over to him, feet treading lightly on the multitrillion-ton superfluid, and locked her arms around him, behind his back. "Omega! I'm _sorry_ for what I said! I didn't _mean a word _of it! I don't know why I said it, myself! But you can't do this to yourself! You just can't!"

"Kitten? How can you be—oh. The Orb must've sent you here. That explains why you're able to withstand this gravity. But how did you know what I was about to do?"

"The Orb told me. You're gonna get rid of all your emotions by some sorta process. Omega, you can't do that! It'd be like suicide or, or worse! You wouldn't be _you_ anymore!"

"True. I'd be better. I'd be much more intelligent, able to access and utilize the full capabilities of my brain to solve problems and arrive at solutions. And I would be immune to Lucifer's emotor. You can't say that wouldn't be an advantage."

"But what about _us?_ You turn yourself into Robbie the Robot, and, and—Omega, you know they were just words, don't you? Oh, I've gotta be the stupidest cunt in history!"

He held her close, his hand behind her head, underneath her hair, holding her close to his chest. Just the mere _feel_ of her…"You're not stupid and stop calling yourself names. You're one of the most intelligent people I know. I don't know what you see in _me_; I'm just a drone from an Empire that's long dead. But you…you have everything: brains, beauty, personality, friends, family. You've a _place_ on Earth. I'm just another alien, and one that doesn't fit in very well, even now."

"You fit in great with me." While she'd been talking to him, she'd reached around behind him, and fastened something onto her wrists, locking her arms around him. "There. I don't doubt you could get out of this, but _I_ can't." She'd locked her arms around him with stasis-cuffs.

"Kitten! What are you doing?! I can't protect you here! And when the Orb's influence fails, you'll be a single-atom-layer smear on the surface!"

"Unless you come back to Earth with me."

He looked down at her for a moment, there in their mutual embrace. "Are you always this devious?"

"Of course. You mean you're just now figuring that out?"

_To be continued…_


	18. Chapter 18: Preparations

Tales of the Titans: Crucible, Chapter 18: Preparations

_Meanwhile, less than a heartbeat away, yet farther than the farthest star:_

_The planet had no name. Its people had always called it "the world," for they knew no other. Like every other people, everywhere, they had their myths and legends about a day when the world, as they knew it, would end._

_Today was that day._

_Many of them, particularly those who grew the crops that fed the vast majority of the largely peaceful planet's population, arose early that morning, in order to tend to their produce. Like many of similar occupations, they looked upward, to check the sky._

_The sky. There was something wrong with the sky._

_K'nark, holder of one of the larger plantations, noticed it first. A faint red hue, not the sunrise, but something high in the upper regions of the atmosphere, or perhaps higher, spreading silently and evenly from east to west. There was nothing to account for it, nor did it, of itself, strike him as being all that dangerous-looking, actually, but he found himself disturbed by it on a level below conscious thought. There was just something intrinsically __wrong__ with it. It was just too…smooth. Too __artificial__ looking. And it was not, he quickly determined, with the aid of some optical enhancers, spreading ash from some large volcano, nor did it appear to be any sort of familiar atmospheric phenomena, such as mist or a cloud reflecting sunlight in an unusual manner. And, now that his attention was drawn to it, he could not see the sun at all, even now, when he should have been able to. That was even stranger and more disturbing. Then he noticed the silence._

_There were no avians singing their usual territorial songs from the vegetation; nothing flew about the heavens, strain his eyes though he might. He could hear no insects chirping in the undergrowth, nor any faint rustling of small creatures. Even the tall, waving blades of grass were unusually still. He looked about for his faithful predator-animals he kept to guard his home from the forest creatures, and, yes, from those of his neighbors whose activities were socially problematic. They were nowhere to be found. But there was something, something he couldn't identify, something he sensed in his mind rather than through his senses, a sense of a building tension. Something was happening, or about to happen, or had already happened…_

_Then he become aware of, out of the corner of his eye, some sort of large, curved structure . It hadn't been there before. Although he could not see it clearly, it disturbed him greatly; like the sky, there was a __wrongness__ to it, and he was sure it had something to do with the strangeness in the sky and on the ground. He tried to turn to get a better look at it, only to discover that he could not._

…_.._

Back at Titans' Tower: Athena was coming up from Omega's lab when her senses detected a slight change in the environment. It was very subtle, but even ordinary human senses might have picked up on it. When Omega (or for that matter, anyone) was gone, there was a certain ambiance, a kind of _difference_ in the usual ebb and flow of the place. But now, there was a change. Without being able to say precisely how she knew, Athena knew he was back. She smiled. No doubt Kitten had been behind his return. Kitten was a force to be reckoned with.

She could sense the change in the sounds and feel of the Tower centering around his room, and a quick glance with her optical senses confirmed that he was back. He and Kitten were lying in his bed, so far fully clothed, but Athena had little doubt that would soon change. She quickly looked away; it would of course be impolite to watch them having sexual intercourse.

Even as a small stab of envy went through her hearts.

Up in Omega's room, he and Kitten were indeed lying in his bed, with Kitten's arms wrapped around him, but they were not engaging in sex. Not yet, at least. For now, just being with each other again, after the fight, was…soothing. And Kitten still felt guilty. "I was stupid," she said, for the tenth time. "Tell me I was stupid."

"No."

"Then at least tell me to shuttup. I keep blabbering on and on…"

"I will not." Fully clothed, they were simply enjoying each other's company in a way that was almost as intimate as sex. "Well, I wish you would," she said, "'Cos it's true. I said a whole bunch of things I never would've said, should _never_ have said, no matter what. I mean, no matter how angry I got, I shouldn't have made it a personal attack on you. I dunno what's wrong with me, maybe I need some kinda anger management counseling or something. I was a brass-plated bitch from Hell, and don't try to tell me differently."

Now he turned over, on his side, careful to use his impulsion field to hold himself up, and very gently took her in his arms, always careful not to hurt her. Humans were so very fragile…"I thought we agreed you were going to stop calling yourself names. You're insulting the one I love."

"I don't see how you could possibly love me. I'm a freak, I've a horrid temper, I-mmMMMPH!" He'd silenced her with a kiss, followed by an even more passionate one. "Omega, how-*" Another kiss. He rolled over farther, pulling her close, not letting up on the kisses. "Are—are you gonna keep on-*"

"Take a guess."

…

_Limbotown:_ Beulah Bleak finished the dishes and retired to her room. Over in one corner was a large, Blue-Rafters style terrarium, with a cloth thrown over it. She approached it now, holding a plate of food, and removed the cloth. _"This is an outrage!" _came a small voice from within.

"Hush, or I'll cut your rations again." And she scraped the table scraps into the terrarium. Malchior glared up at her, but he ate. Everything got hungry, but someday, someday soon, there would be an accounting. He'd promised himself there would be. It helped make his days and nights more bearable. "I don't suppose you'd care to enlighten me on just precisely what you need me for," he said, even as he gulped down the turkey, bread and potatoes. He had to admit, the food wasn't bad here. Nothing like what his servants back in long-vanished Gol could prepare, but overall it was pretty good. Not that he'd let _her_ see that, of course.

"You'll know soon enough. For now, just consider this a bit of a vacation from your time in the book."

"So…you admit you plan to shove me back into that dusty tome once you're done with me."

"I admit no such thing. Now eat and be silent. I've a lot of planning to do."

…..

Omega's room: Kitten was again talking, as usual. "Now, let's see: we don't want Raven, even though she could probably witch down his security system; she might hit the computers too. We don't need that. We'll take Hank: he may not be as powerful, but he's much more specific, and therefore safer. We'll save Raven for backup, in case things go awry. Which they easily could. Cyborg and me, of course, for the tech end of it, and Athena…not only is she muscle, she's faced him before and kinda knows what to expect…."

"Wait. _What_ are you talking about?"

"The mission, of course. Now…do we need to bring in any reservists, or anyone from Titans' East? What about Hot Spot? Or Kid Flash and or Jinx? Or maybe even Thunder and Lightning?"

"The mission? I hope you don't mean the mission into Lucifer's stronghold. Because you're _definitely_ not following me there."

"Oh, don't be silly! Of course I'm not following you there!" Pause. "_I'm_ going in _first._ _You're_ going to guard my back. Now, the others…"

"Hoooollld it. Hold it right there. You. Are. Not. Coming."

"Of course I'm coming. What, you think I'd let you storm this guy's stronghold all by _yourself?_ That _any _of us would? You can't even tie your own shoes."

"I don't have to, I wear—wait, that's not the point. No. En Oh. You are not coming. This 'Lucifer' is easily the most dangerous opponent I've ever even heard of. The Lord I faced was nothing by comparison. Well, almost nothing. But-*"

"You _do_ know I've a personal stake in this, don't you? I mean, he's the creep who turned me into _this._" And she gestured to her bright red body. "Tail and all."

He kissed her. "I like you this way."

She drew herself up level with his face and looked at him soberly. "As long as you're with me, so do I. But if you ever leave me…"

"I won't."

"Good. Now roll over on your back." Puzzled, he did so, and she straddled his body, with her hair falling around his head, and, gripping his face between her hands, planted a most sensuous kiss on his lips. "There. SWAK."

"'SWAK'?"

"Sealed with a kiss. Now if you ever leave me, your lips will fall off." Still atop him, she gazed deep into his eyes. She could literally feel the pulse of his body. Another scorching kiss. "Now I _know_ there's a God." Which, of course, distracted him completely from the plans she was making. Just as she'd intended, all along.

_To be continued…_


	19. Chapter 19: A Father's Farewell

Tales of the Titans: Crucible, Chapter 19: A Father's Farewell

Athena moved down the hallway towards her room. No doubt soon, soon, they would begin to formulate plans for the invasion of Lucifer's stronghold and the acquisition of his data. Until then, there was really nothing for her to do.

There was another box in front of her door.

Cautiously, she picked it up. Just like before, it bore no return address, and no postal stamp. Nor was it addressed to any one particular individual. The address read, "Titans' Tower, Room 2111b." As before, she scanned it very carefully for any sort of surprises. And, as before, there were none. Given what had happened last time, that did little to reassure her.

She took the box into the room she shared with Blackfire and opened it. Unsurprisingly, it contained another golden rose. But this time the included note differed. This note read:

_He is watching you._

_ -Your secret admirer._

Below this was a curious symbol that made no sense to her, but looked like it might be something Raven would be familiar with.

She got on her T-cell and called her. "Raven? Athena. I've another gift from my 'secret admirer,' but this time, the note is a bit more detailed. Plus there's a symbol on it I don't recognize. Would you care to take a look at it?"

Shortly, she found herself in the conference room, while Raven, along with Hank, examined the box and the note. "So…a note, just like before, only this one says, 'He is watching you.' I believe we can safely deduce the 'He' in this message refers to Lucifer. The secret admirer part is…still unclear.

"But you were right. This symbol _is_ known to me. It's the symbol for Asmodeus."

"Who is Asmodeus?"

"In literature, and in some ancient Biblical texts, Asmodeus is a either a king or prince of Hell, depending upon who you read. Supposed to be a subordinate of Satan or," and here she drew a deep breath, "as he's known by his actual name, Lucifer. So…this does connect somewhat with what we've got so far.

"This would seem to indicate, as we've surmised, that someone on the inside of Lucifer's organization, seems to be working, at the very least, at some sort of cross purposes with the boss. So this supports that theory. Of course, given that demons are seldom forthright about their methods and goals, and given to deception, we can't assume this to be true without a doubt."

"Do you believe we face actual demons?"

Raven shook her head. "Doubtful. Demons seldom employ technology, at least, not of any high order; it doesn't work in their native environment, and usually doesn't work reliably around them in any case. Hence the preferred use of magic. And we know Lucifer certainly uses technology. So my judgment call is probably not. No, this is probably a figurative reference, meaning to indicate that we have, perhaps not an ally, but at least someone on the inside of Lucifer's camp who is, at the very least, differently disposed towards us, and is probably in a subordinate role to Lucifer himself. That doesn't necessarily make him, her, or it an ally.

"'Her'?" Athena looked puzzled. "Why would a strange female send either Blackfire or me a golden rose, and sign herself, 'Your secret admirer'?"

Both Hank and Raven seemed to find somewhere else to look. "Ah, Athena, that's something I'll, uhm, have to explain to you later. But, but there could be many explanations. This person may admire you for being a hero. He, she, if it is a she, may secretly, or not so secretly, wish to be one too, and admire you for actually being one. They may even be somehow trapped in Lucifer's organization, and envy your comparative freedom of action. Or they may simply be trying to curry favor with you, or us—hedging their bets, so to speak. Lots of reasons. So…we really can't make any assumptions based on that, not at this juncture. But it does seem as though we should call a meeting and share this information with the group."

….

In the basement lab of the smallish suburban house, the six and a half foot tall moth man finished recording on the datacube, tossed it into the wall safe, and clanged it shut. Heaved a sigh of relief. He hoped he'd acted fast enough. Now he spun the dials, scrambling the combination, and drew the disguising paneling back into place. Went back over and sat at his observation chair, looking around at the plexiglass cages full of mutant moths. They stared back at him with what he imagined to be a certain amount of sorrowful resignation. If he was right, none of them would be alive by nightfall. He sighed again. He hated to see all his hard work so thoroughly destroyed, but there was no help for it.

Of course, there was no guarantee he'd covered all his bases, but, in any case, he'd done the best he cou-*

"That's the main problem with genius," said a calm, controlled voice behind him. "Always jumping to the _right_ conclusions."

…

Beast Boy and Terra returned the next morning. "Sorry about the delay," he said. "Got held up at our flight change. Some totally insane dude with swords was slaughtering the hell out of a bunch of guys wearing swastikas. He never stopped talking, but we couldn't get a word of sense out of him. And he kept hitting on Terra."

"He hit on you, once," his wife reminded him.

"Yeah, that's when you slugged him with that rock."

"Damn right I did. You're mine."

"Wait," Hank broke in, "'totally insane dude with swords'? He wasn't by some chance wearing a red and black bodysuit, was he? 'Cause if so, I think I _know_ that guy."

"_Focus,_ people." Raven waved them all to silence. She turned to Gar and Terra. "You two get settled in. We'll convene in an hour."

Council of war, Titans' Tower: "Alright, what do we know?" asked Raven. "Let's pool our information."

Athena ticked off some points on her fingers. "We can surmise a few things. One, as you stated, he is no demon, but most probably a mortal man. Or woman. Two, it may be safely said that he is physically weaker than either Omega or myself."

"Why so?"

"The fact is, he has not confronted us directly, but always indirectly. True, this does not guarantee he is physically weaker, but it strongly implies it."

"Makes sense." Raven nodded. "Superman doesn't need body armor. Lex Luthor _does._ What else?"

"Three, his base of operations is probably not in this dimension. If, as we've deduced, he manages to get in and out of places using these dimensional gates of his, his base could be anywhere, but there would still be traces. Unless those traces led to somewhere outside this universe, where our senses and sensors will not reach."

"Also," interjected Kitten, "we know he has some means of controlling emotions. I wouldn't be at all surprised to find out he's the creep behind these crystals, though I don't know what his motivation would be for that. Money, maybe? But resources don't seem to be a problem for him.

"And we know he's got pretty much of a lock on the human genome. Look what he did to me. Marcus Jordan was an accident, and accidents happen, even to supergeniuses. But he's able to genetically tailor mosquitoes, or some other insect, as well as his retrovirus. So he has a weapon—if that's what it is—and a delivery system. A perfect delivery system."

"'If it's a weapon'? What else could it be?"

Kitten shrugged. "For all we know, his retrovirus may not be intended as a weapon, per se. He may—if what Daddy is telling us about this Herbert Quincy DeVille being the same guy—see it as a way of actually improving the human race. That doesn't make it _not_ a weapon, but any weapon that makes your potential opponents _better than before_ isn't much _weapon_. And, though I hate what was done to me, I'm forced to admit, pretty much everything was an improvement on the basic model. Stronger, faster, all that good stuff. Unless there's some control feature built into it…but we've seen no indication of that. And believe you me, I've run umpteen number of tests on myself to make sure that wasn't gonna ever become a problem."

"On the other hand," Raven replied thoughtfully, "his ability to apparently control Osiran emotions, at least, _does_ fall into that category. So he's come up with something that can strike at some of our strongest members. It may be able to affect humans, too, but we've not seen any evidence of that, yet."

"Unless you count the crystals."

"Something else," Omega spoke up, "unless we assume an extremely convoluted scheme on his part, he does not appear to retain complete control over his own organization. It seems like someone with similar gate technology is attempting to warn us about him. Someone who evidently considers himself in a secondary or tertiary position to Lucifer. And…" and here he paused. "While I have no evidence, I believe Lucifer was the one who cloned Terra originally. Remember, Tara, the clone, has implanted false memories, and we've already seen that Lucifer can do that. The robots that posed as her parents utilized technology very similar to the technology of Apololips. The sale of one of the clones, Tara, in this case, plus an exchange of technology would easily have accounted for his resources: they were his backers."

"But why not simply boom-tube her straight back to Apokolips? Why all the subterfuge of a ship?"

"Precisely that: it was subterfuge. What humans call a 'red herring.' While we—well, one of us—" here he gestured to Beast Boy, "was distracted chasing Tara, he had plenty of time to consolidate his own position. All he had to do was demand payment in advance, sabotage his own ship, and send Tara off to whatever fate awaited her, wherever the ship ended up. But just in case the ship was followed, caught, and Tara rescued, he threw in a few inactive mother boxes, no doubt acquired, in some way, from New Genesis, perhaps through Apokolips agents, and the illusion was complete. We would then look for some extraterrestrial enemy, when our real foe has been right under our noses all along.

"Given what we know, I think we can assume his headquarters are actually in a pocket dimension, one artificially created, but linked to this one. Otherwise, it would drift off in the currents of hypertime, much like Gwen's universe did. In fact, his tampering with hypertime may've been the reason she and Garfield were transposed in the first place. One reason.

"But, just as Raven needed a tether to enable her to return from hypertime back to this universe, so, to, must Lucifer have something similar set up. Some umbilical cord, so to speak, which he can widen at will to cross over, then allow to snap shut when he's done. If we knew where his main tether was, we could use the same forces we use in our security systems in reverse, to open a gate into his domain, even as the Kindred did, earlier.

Raven rubbed her eyes tiredly. "I think it's safe to say this is something we must do, and soon. We need his data, if we are to restore Robin's memory. Plus, we need more intel on this man, for so I am convinced he is, and the threat he poses. Omega. Can you get with the Kindred and see about a 'can opener' sort of mechanism? One that could force open his last gate, right into the heart of his complex?"

"Possibly. But we still need to know where, in this universe, his main tether is."

Kitten's eyes suddenly widened. "I bet I know."

….

The Titans converged on Killer Moth's home. Kitten burst in, not waiting for either Omega or Athena to scan it. "Daddy!"

There was no reply. Over in one corner, she heard a whimper. Followed it to Charlie, crouched under the sofa. "Charlie?" The little dog eagerly came out into her arms. She turned to the others. "Guys, I gotta really bad feeling about this."

Downstairs they went, into Killer Moth's lab. All of the Plexiglas cages were shattered, the mutant moths dead. There was no sign of Kitten's father.

But over in one corner, by the chair he'd always sat in, was a single drop of red blood. Kitten stared at it, her hand over her mouth, more afraid than she'd ever been. "O-omega? Do—do you sense anything?"

"Nothing. We'd need the Kindred's sensors to determine just what happened here, Kitten, and to search for a gate…"

"I'm afraid I already know what happened." She went over to the wall, shoved back the disguising panel. "His safe. But, but I don't know the combination, he changed it every week..."

"Unnecessary." Omega went over to the safe, and, gripping the door with one hand, smoothly ripped it off the safe.

Within was a datacube. "Kitten? I believe this was meant for you."

…..

Back at Titans' Tower: Kitten had insisted that the others be present when she viewed the contents of the cube. After all, it most probably contained information they'd all need.

Plus, she was a little afraid to view it alone.

Omega placed the cube into the computer in the main conference hall, and the screen lit up, to show Killer Moth, seated in his chair, his undestroyed cages behind him. Omega sat down by Kitten and took her hand.

The image came alive. _"I'm preparing this cube in the event of something happening to me. If you're viewing this, Titans, there is a strong probability that I am…no longer with you . I'm sorry, Kitten. I had hoped it wouldn't come to this._

"_But I want—no, I __need__ you to have courage. I have determined that Lucifer's base must reside in some other, possibly a pocket dimension, a separate reality, so to speak. But it is tethered to ours—it must be-and the tether is here in my own home. Most probably, either in or close by your old room, Kitten. This would account for his being able to get into your room, infect you, and remove your tongue, with the smallest chance of being detected by anyone. The shortest distance between two points, and all that. So that's where you need to look._

"_Omega? If you're watching this with Kitten, please, please just…be with her. She's gonna need your support. And as to the rest of you, the Titans, if you're watching this, I'm glad I got to know you as friends, rather than enemies. I'm including, on this cube, all the information and data I was able to glean from what I had. I believe I've come up with, not exactly an antidote, but more along the lines of a vaccine._

"_I am certain Lucifer, whom I believe to be Dr. Herbert Quincy DeVille, cannot allow me to continue this line of research into the retrovirus without doing something about it. And that something…most probably means I'm no longer around. So, Kitten, I want you know a few things._

"_One, I love you very much. And always will, no matter what. And two, I am very proud of you. I always have been. Even before your transformation, you possessed a keen intellect, an unstoppable drive, and abilities that far exceeded anything I could ever do. And although I know you didn't like being transformed like you were—neither did I—everything that happened since has only served to make me all the more proud of you._

"_Well, that's really the main things I wanted to say. I love you, Kitten, and I hope you and Omega have a long, happy relationship. Don't take a second of it for granted; your mother and I had a happy one. It just wasn't long enough._

"_So, goodbye, at least for now, Kitten. And goodbye to you, my I hope future son-in-law. Take good care of my daughter for me."_

The cube's message ended with a menu, allowing access to the document and data files stored on the disk.

The silence that followed was broken only by the sound of a choked sob.

_To be continued…_


	20. Chapter 20: Offensives

Tales of the Titans: Crucible, Chapter 20: Offensives

_Another universe: the pirate fleet had just recently "resupplied" on a world not far from here, taking everything of value that wasn't red hot or nailed flat, and a few things that were. Including, it might be added, some of the best examples of the dominant species, a very strong and hardy, albeit extremely ugly, humanoid race who'd make good slaves for the open market._

_At one of their previously established rendezvous worlds, the fleet convened to share their information, loot, and stories. Drawn, as the fleet was, from many different worlds and cultures across the trigalactic area, there were always internecine conflicts, as one ship captain claimed—sometimes rightly, sometimes not—that another ship captain owed him a percentage of their spoils. Of course, this was a professional operation; all the ships answered to one governing admiral, who, in turn, along with his council, saw to the collection, securing, and investment and/or resale of the goods._

_It was the leadmost ship towards galactic central that first reported the anomaly. Soon, all the ships' sensors were trained upon what appeared to be an expanding reddish haze, seeming to spring out of nowhere, spreading from one corner of the sensor graphs to another, bearing down upon them. None of their sensors could indentify its composition. It was not, apparently, made of any sort of matter or energy they could identify. The stars beyond it were not visible, which hinted at a certain solidness…_

_The fleet's admiral sat in his command room, with several of his senior ship captains arrayed around him. From here, he could see real-time readouts of every other ships' sensors. In spite of the vast diversity of technologies, none of them could identify this strange phenomena._

_The fleet was strong. It had been a long, long time since they had encountered any reason to be afraid, certainly not here, at the very center of their power. Nonetheless, the admiral couldn't help but feel a twinge of uneasiness, faced with the unknown. He ordered probes sent into the red zone._

_The probes, however, ceased to function once they crossed over that nearly-invisible boundary. His unease mounting, the admiral ordered the fleet to fall back a klick, and delegated one vessel, crewed by a warrior race eager for battle, into the zone. It, too, ceased to report. That was unusual. Again, he ordered the fleet to fall back until more information could be gathered._

_He was acutely aware that he couldn't afford to be seen as __running__, no. Not in light of so little concrete data. That would have made him a target for assassins, and he already had more than his share of those. Still, he hadn't gotten to the position he currently commanded by being completely foolhardy._

_But now the oncoming reddish haze seemed to speed up a bit, as if the probes and the warship had actually increased some sort of appetite in it. And he wondered: __Could__ they be facing a living entity, one unlike any ever reported before?_

_A hungry one, perhaps?_

"_Initiate communications. Inform—whatever that is—of our position…and our strength. 'Request'"—he said it in such as way that all who heard could easily hear the quotes, "identification and surrender."_

_The red haze was now nearly at the bow of the leadmost ship. The hailing messages went forth—but were met with no reply._

_He was about to order another tactical relocation when the haze suddenly jumped forward, enveloping the entire fleet. "Sensors! What is happening?"_

"_Unknown, sir! Our communications are failing! Weapons and shields are down! Trying to reboot from backups—no luck, sir! Environmental is down fifteen percent, and falling!"_

"_Get us out of here!"_

"_I can't, sir! The controls are not responding! Helm is…is offline! Even internal communications are down!" Even as he spoke, the lights flickered and went off, to be replaced by the dim red glow of emergency lights._

_Or was is the emergency lights? Maybe it was his imagination but he couldn't help but notice it was the same color as the red haze that had so swiftly enveloped them._

"_Initiate escape protocols! Prepare to abandon ship!" He could get more ships; he couldn't get another __him._

"_No good, sir! Nothing's responding! We're-*" And then the emergency lights went out, as did the gravity. In the darkness of the bridge, the frantic calls of the other crewmembers suddenly went abruptly silent. But they'd been right there, beside him. What could have happened to them?_

_The admiral tried to "swim" his way towards his personal escape hatch he'd readied, for just such an emergency as this, only to discover that his limbs, like his ships, no longer responded to his commands…_

….

Later: Omega and Kitten were sitting in his room, side by side on his bed. She lay against him, trying, without a great deal of success, to choke back the tears. "That son of a bitch _took my dad._ He _took_ him." She couldn't bring herself to say the word, "killed."

"He will pay, Kitten. He will pay."

She was silent for a moment. Then, not meeting his gaze, "Omega, I, I guess I can't expect you to fully understand. For so long, it was just me an' my dad. My—my mom died when I was a baby. And…there's no other family. I mean, until, you know. You came along. But this…I…didn't think it was gonna happen until…well, I guess I didn't think it was gonna happen period. I guess I was….just in denial, or something."

He lifted her head so as to meet her eyes. "Kitten. I understand better than you may think. Killer Moth may not have been any blood relation to me, but he'll soon be my father-in-law, and, by the actions he's taken this day, Lucifer has _hurt you_. That's all I need to know.

"Believe me: I know all about revenge.

"Now. There's something you need to know. Come out here with me." And he led her out into the corridor outside.

Up and down the hallway, the rest of the Titans Jump City were waiting for them: Athena and Blackfire, Beast Boy and Terra, Raven and Hank, Cyborg, even Angelique and Missy. Kitten's eyes widened when she saw, standing against a wall a little apart from the rest, solidograms of the Kindreds Alpha, Theta, and Delta. There was even a patch of darkness down the corridor that could only be the Orb. Indeed, the only ones not present were Robin and Starfire, still locked in their stasis fields down in Omega's lab.

Raven approached the pair. "Kitten, I'd ask if you were alright, but we both know the answer to that. But I just want you to know you aren't alone in this. We _will_ find this man. And, although I know it sounds trite, he _won't_ get away with this. That I promise you."

"Thanks, Raven." Impulsively, she grabbed the dark girl and hugged her close, completely oblivious of Raven's discomfort.

But something was nagging at the back corners of Kitten's mind, gnawing around the edges. It was like something she'd missed, or hadn't picked up on, she wasn't sure. But right then, she dismissed it as not important.

What _was_ important was that the Titans, her newfound friends and family, were with her in this. Even those not officially counted among their numbers, such as the Kindred, Angelique, and Missy, stood with her. That made it a little better.

"Alright, people," said Raven, once she'd extracted herself from Kitten's embrace, "Let's make some plans."

…

Killer Moth awoke in a very dark place, tied by leather hospital restraint belts onto what felt like a basic hospital bed. His vision, which, in his mutated form, extended into the ultraviolet, told him nothing about his surroundings. Yet, somehow, he knew he was not alone. "Dr. DeVille?"

"Why, yes, Dr. Van Cleer. I am here. I congratulate you on your deductions, although, in light of all things, they weren't all that difficult to arrive at."

"So you _are_ the one calling yourself 'Lucifer.'"

"The same." He sensed whoever was talking to him taking a short bow. "Normally," the speaker paused, "normally, I'd say it's a pleasure to once again meet a former student of mine, but I think we can both agree the circumstances could be improved upon."

"I think that's safe to say. So. What have you been up to, lately, 'Dr. Devil'?"

A chuckle. "I've heard worse pseudonyms. And it fits, in a way, though not as good as 'Lucifer.' 'Light Bearer,' you know."

"So you seek to improve the human species?"

"Well of course. What rational being would seek anything else? And, given the uncertain times we live in, it only stands to reason to produce as many enhanced humans, more adaptable, better able to survive, as one can."

"'Uncertain times'?"

"Yes. Climate change, the spread of major and new pestilences, with new ones cropping up all the time, the very real chance of another Nemesis meteor, plus the simple fact that nuclear war is still a definite possibility, all combine to make the future of the species very uncertain indeed. And even if none of those happen, there are still quite a few irrational souls who'd like nothing better than to cause as much chaos, start as many wars as they can, simply to profit from them, or to secure their own power and authority."

"And, of course, you're doing all this out of the goodness of your heart."

Again a chuckle. "Hardly. If, or perhaps I should say, _when_, a holocaust strikes, those prepared for it will certainly find themselves in positions of considerable authority. I will be that person. Even as you mutated yourself as you did, in order to survive your foreseen destruction and subjugation of the world, by means of your mutant moths, so, too, I have taken steps to ensure I remain at the top of the food chain." Now a light came on, and a figure stepped into Killer Moth's field of view.

He was tall, a few inches over six feet, with curly black hair and moustache, reminding Killer Moth of a younger Tom Selleck. His skin was a bright red, with amber-tinted eyes, and, Killer Moth noted, a tail protruded from beneath his white lab coat. A tail that twitched back and forth. "You son of a bitch. You mutated yourself along the same lines as you did Kitten."

"Hardly. You have it exactly backwards. I mutated _her_ along the same lines as _me._ But there were still some variables—I didn't know how the regenerative factor would take, in her specific genotype. Hence, I removed her tongue. And, of course, the best-laid plans of mice and men…your Omega just had to skew the results. So I'm still a bit unsure as to just precisely how effective it'll be, once I release my retrovirus into the general populace." Shrug. "I truly hope quite well. As it is, my figures estimate a mortality ratio of around fifty-eight percent—and that's in those countries with proper medical care. In some poorer countries, the death toll will be significantly higher, but there are enough humans extant to keep the race alive."

"So you'd kill billions…"

"To save the species, yes."

"You're another Hitler."

"Oh, on the contrary. Hitler sought destruction. He sought to make his 'Aryan' people supreme by the simple act of subjugating everyone else. It was the same principle every tribal leader has ever had: extend one's own kind, and if others suffer, well, so what.

"I, on the other hand, seek to produce a new humanity, one better equipped to take care of itself in a hostile universe. My retrovirus will cull the weak, the stupid, and the willfully ignorant from a world that doesn't really need them."

"With, of course, yourself in charge."

"Why not? Who better? Tell me, Dr. Van Cleer: are you familiar with the theory of the forces of History? More accurately referred to as the forces of Culture."

"Yes. You covered that, in one of your own classes. I remember. The "time is ripe" theory. The idea that, since we're using this analogy, had Adolf Hitler not risen to power, some other strong leader would have come along, perhaps with a different agenda, but with much the same results, and the end product not being all that different from what we know."

"I'm glad you remember."

"That doesn't mean I _agree._" Killer Moth glared at his captor. "My daughter might have been one that didn't survive."

"But that's so selfish of you, doctor. So short-sighted. Don't the needs of the many logically outweigh the needs of the few?"

"You plan to _kill_ the many…"

"In order to salvage a superior few, yes. A few who could spread across this world and create a new golden age. A few who would be far better able to adapt to a changing environment, and free of the stultifying views of the past…"

"I'm going to kill you."

DeVille paused, a slight smile on his controlled countenance. "Oh, on the contrary, Dr. Van Cleer. _I_ am going to kill _you._"

_To be continued…_


	21. Chapter 21: Battle

Tales of the Titans: Crucible, Chapter 21: Battle

Kitten's old house: All was in readiness. The Kindred had built the "can opener," and it was charging even now. Raven was going over the plans with the rest. "Okay, everyone. As Robin would say, this is to be a surgical strike. In and out." It had already been determined that not all of them were going, it being tactically unwise to commit all one's forces to the initial assault. Some of them might be needed for backup, or reinforcements. Or rescue. _Take nothing for granted._ "Alpha? The scrambler is ready?"

"It is. You have but to place it within reasonable proximity of his machinery, and that machinery will cease to function. That does not preclude the possibility of additional machinery beyond the immediate area, of course. That may or may not be affected, depending upon conditions in that pocket dimension and whatever shielding Lucifer may have.

"The siphon is also fully activated." He held up a small cylindrically instrument. "Place this within proximity to his data storage facilities, and it will automatically connect with and download any and all files. And automatically relay that data into secure storage."

"Good." Omega, Athena, Haywire, and Devil Cat had insisted on being the initial assault team, with Beast Boy and Blackfire kept in reserve. Angelique, Ghost, and the Kindred would remain at this end, to monitor the gate machinery and make sure it continued to function as it should. Angelique had wanted to accompany Kitten's team, having come to regard Killer Moth almost as an uncle—not to mention the father of her best friend and adopted big sister. But Omega had explained it to her that this was an even more vital part of the whole operation. Cyborg had to stay behind, at least for now, due to the possibility of the Kindred's devices interrupting his own circuitry. Terra was also selected to remain on standby, since the general consensus was that it was highly probable her powers wouldn't work "over there." But if necessary, she could be called upon to bring large masses of rock, dust, and debris through the gate; a kind of chaff to interfere with and block off any pursuit. Raven hoped it wouldn't be necessary, but that wasn't the way to bet.

She really wished she could've persuaded Kitten to remain behind, too, but Kitten wouldn't hear of it. And, thought Raven with a sigh, she really couldn't blame her.

How would she feel if someone killed her mother, Arella? Raven was honest enough with herself to admit she might not be taking it as well as Kitten appeared to be. Omega had concurred with Kitten, though it was clear he was concerned for her safety.

_But I cannot imagine anyone having a better bodyguard,_ thought Raven with a slight smile.

Plans were gone over, every detail nailed down flat, every conceivable contingency accounted for. Now it was just a matter of powering up the 'can opener.'

Off to one side, Kitten had her arms around Omega's neck. "And," she was saying, so low the others couldn't hear her, "once we've gotten back, it's you and me. Right? I'll have to teach you what 'victory sex' is really all about."

"If it's better than regular sex, I'm all for it." He kissed her.

She pulled up to his ear, no small feat considering their differences in height. Spoke so softly that even she could barely hear herself. "Say. Whaddaya say we invite Athena to that party?"

He pulled back, surprise and shock registering on his face. "Kit_ten_!"

"Hey, it was a joke, okay? I just love seeing you all embarrassed like this; your whole head turns silver. But for now just shut up and kiss me. We'd best be going."

….

In the pocket universe ruled by Lucifer: He sat at his desk, scanning over some reports. It was indeed a shame that he'd had to kill Dr. Van Cleer; in spite of his abject failure as a supervillain, the man had possessed an impressive intellect. If only he'd used it properly…

And now, of course, the Titans were massing for an attack, just as he'd anticipated. He'd see to it they acquired the data they sought—plus a little something extra. There was another threat he hadn't told Killer Moth about, one that, frankly, he didn't really like to think about himself. But a true scientist, and any strategist worthy of the name, must take into consideration scenarios that do not necessarily lend themselves to one's peace of mind. That was simply the art of preparation. It was fools—and others who dabbled in self-deception—who failed to take into their calculations unsettling facts, who failed to make allowances for them. And who often paid the price.

….

Deep within the vast cybernetic structure that was Lucifer's home base, a gate opened. Omega and Athena emerged, already powered up, alert for any sign of defensive/offensive mechanisms. Haywire and Devil Cat followed. "Haywire? What can you sense?"

"Lotta current goin' through here; can't sense any thoughts. Orders?"

"Find the biggest concentration of electrical activity. Then _point._"

…..

_Another universe: the planet was doomed, and the people knew it._

_There were riots in the streets of the larger cities, but in the smaller ones, many of them seemed to take the matter in stride, although not happily. Many places of religious gatherings saw unusual attendance this day; those who attended were more silent than usual. Often, before, such meeting places had served as social centers, where friends met friends, chatting about crops, or politics, or the weather, or pretty much anything and everything. But today silence reigned, as the people sat in the rows of benches and prayed. Many prayed for themselves. Many more prayed for their families, their loved ones, the ones now lost behind the Red Veil._

_Their space agency had spotted the Veil almost as soon as it had appeared, coming from the northern quadrant. At first, speculation had been mild; some new galactic phenomena of some sort. Maybe an expanding dust cloud from some cataclysm far off in space, just now reaching them. But that wouldn't account for their inability to see through the Veil, to see any of the stars they knew should be visible beyond it._

_So they had sent probes, of course. It was scientifically interesting; what could the composition of the cloud be? But the probes had dropped out of contact as soon as they crossed the border between the Veil and everything else…._

_A crewed ship was sent, it being common knowledge that intelligent beings were of course far more adaptable than unfeeling machinery. No doubt but that the crew of the ship would be able to determine at least something of what the Veil actually was, and report back. And the crew had been briefed on the possibility that conditions beyond the Veil might prove lethal. They had accepted that, and were nonetheless excited at the chance to see the anomaly, up close. Privately, they acknowledged, to each other, that, over and obove the fear they felt, there was a pervading sense of __wonder__, a feeling of being on the very leading edge of the frontier of knowledge. They had looked forward to the trip, to the discovery of something new._

_There had been no contact with them since they crossed the boundary separating the Veil from the rest of the universe._

_Another ship had been readied, this one an armed destroyer. It, too, ceased communication once it entered the Veil. Message after message had been beamed into the heart of the phenomena, but there had been no reply._

_Now the Veil was approaching their planet. No one knew what lay on the other side. Would they all die? Would they all be transformed, and, if so, into what? The psychologists could come up with no reason why the crews of the vanished ships should not have made __some__ report._

_Soundlessly, painlessly, the Veil enveloped the planet…._

….

Something exploded nearby, causing Hank to dodge, and Athena move to shield him from the blast, even as he leveled his weapon—a variation of the Hunter weaponized cutting beam—to cover her. "This way!" Omega charged down the tunnel they'd blasted, into the heart of Lucifer's complex. According to Hank's senses, it shouldn't be too much farther….he glanced behind him.

Wait. Where was Kitten? "Athena! Signal for reinforcements, and see to the delivery of our packages! Then back out of here—I'm going after Kitten!" Upon Athena's signal, Blackfire and Cyborg vaulted through the gate, adding their own firepower to the others…

Omega doubled back on the trail of destruction they blasted. She had to be somewhere close by; he knew she didn't have the capability to carve her own blast tunnels, the way he, Athena, and Haywire were doing. So she had to be somewhere, somewhere fairly close by, with a passage that led to it….

Elsewhere in the complex: a figure sat at his desk, reviewing the reports on his projects, and, not incidentally, watching the progress of the Titans as they made their way through his stronghold. He noticed they'd brought in reinforcements; good, good; just as anticipated. Standard battle tactics, of which he was sure both Osirans were perfectly aware. But where was-* "Dr. Herbert Quincy DeVille, I presume?" said a calm voice from the doorway.

He turned and rose. "The one and the same, Ms. Van Cleer. I congratulate you on finding me so swiftly, considering how much of my fortress there is to search through."

"Wasn't that hard," said Kitten, moving into the light. "I figured you'd be in the most heavily shielded area, or one of them, at least. This one was closest."

"And here you are. My, my. Look at you." DeVille ran his gaze up and down her. "Yes, yes. A spectacular success, if I do say so myself. But I have to wonder: to what do I owe the honor of this visit? Why did you seek me out, alone? Why not bring your friends as well?"

Devil Cat looked at him levelly, her expression impossible to read. "What's between us is personal. You killed my father, you cold-blooded son of a bitch."

"True, true, I did. But really, Devil Cat, would you really have had it any other way?"

She was taken aback. "What do you mean?"

"Consider. Really, all that your father—your biological father—had to look forward to was a slow decline as the years caught up with him. I followed his publications, what few of them ever actually got published." Shrug. "In all fairness, you have to admit it's difficult to fault people for finding articles on how to mutate a moth's genetic structure a trifle…boring.

"Ultimately, he would have ended his days in some retirement home for obsolete supervillians—if they'd have even let him in the door. He would have become a burden on you, maybe even an embarrassment. This way, he got to exit on a positive note, knowing you to be in good hands with the Titans, and, yes, particularly with your Osiran lover. This way, you get to remember him as going down in the line of duty, a casualty of war, a victim of a mad scientist….and not as the pathetic overprotective loser he was."

Kitten's face took on a surprised look. "I…I honestly hadn't thought of it that way. Much as I hate to admit it, you're right." She sighed, looking down at the ground. "Maybe…maybe this was for the best, overall."

"I understand your feelings. I'm not without them, myself. But I do hope that, in time, you'll come to see the logic behind his death, and to accept me as your true father, in a sense of the word.

"I don't expect it to happen overnight. But one reason I chose you for the initial transformation process was your psychological resilience, your ability to face harsh realities unflinching, and to adapt to those realities. And one of those harsh realities is: the Osirans are anything but dead. You, along with your allies, both human, enhanced human, and Osiran, will have to deal with a world full of beings genetically programmed to conquer the entire universe. And remember: they succeeded in doing so in their universe of origin. You'll have to make a difference in order to keep them from doing so here. That is, unless the thought of living under Osiran domination appeals to you, and I don't think it does."

He extended a hand towards her. "I can help you do that. My complex here is beyond the reach of Osiran senses, and most of their sensors. And I've no more desire for aliens to conquer Earth than you do." He shrugged, and allowed himself a small smile. "To be totally honest, I'd rather do that myself. At the very least, I know what it's like to be human, rather than an uncaring alien overlord. Remember what just one of them did to your friend, Athena. Multiply that by millions. You might find yourself as one of those victims. That would certainly displease me, nearly as much as it would you.

"So to you, and through you, to others, I extend the offer of cooperation. You may not be in agreement with some of my methods, but I can assure you I have only mankind's best interests at heart.

"And you, daughter of my mind, if not of my flesh, could aid me—could aid us all—in being the saviors of the human race, perhaps even of your whole universe.

"Does this sound agreeable to you? Or would you rather see your world overrun by beings like Omega, but completely subservient to the will of alien masters?

"So which option sounds best to you?"

Kitten thought, and thought hard. She trusted Omega, and she trusted Athena, but from what they had told her about what the Empire of Osira had become….she couldn't wish that on the world. No.

And the Osirans had the advantage of having hundreds of thousands of Earthly years—maybe more—in terms of advancement, both technological and biological. And they had the experience. She didn't doubt but that, if they still lived, sooner or later, Earth would get their attention.

But did she believe him?

Yes, she decided, she did. Omega and Athena had survived, as had the Kindred, the warriors from one of the pods, and even a stray Lord. So, yeah, the probability of more of them surviving increased dramatically. They—and humanity—would need all the help they could get, just to tread water against a force like that.

She sighed. Some things…hurt, just to think about. "Alright. I admit it. If it's true that these Osirans are on their way, yeah, we're gonna need everything we can rake and scrape together.

"And, yeah," and here she looked down at herself, "I gotta admit, even though I hate what you did to me, I can't deny that you improved upon what I was. Still feel like a freak, though."

"But," he said, "If everyone's like you, you won't be a freak anymore, now would you?"

"That's…true." Here she looked up, sharply. "But no way can I sanction you killing half the human race. There's gotta be a better way."

"Perhaps there is." He came around from behind his desk. "If I can run certain tests on you, comparing the results with my own, and determine just who has the proper genetic structure, perhaps the death toll could, at least, be minimized. I'd go along with that, for your sake.

"So. Does this mean we'll be working together."

She turned a scorching look at him. "You still killed my dad. I hope you don't think I'm just gonna forget that."

"No, I don't. But I really did have your best interests at heart. As well as my own. Your father was on the verge of discovering an antidote for the retrovirus. Had it gone into mass production, as it almost certainly would have, the two in combination would have decimated the entire planet. Not just a case of, as you said, half the human race. More like ninety-nine point nine nine nine. The few survivors wouldn't have even made the expanding sphere of the new Osiran Empire so much as burp."

"Well….alright, then. I guess you have that information on the Osirans, and what they're up to?"

"But certainly. I made certain that your friends were able to access that information with their interface device.

"So…are we then partners? Partners in the Earth's salvation?"

"I," her face twisted. What she was about to say hurt and hurt a lot but…"I guess so. Uhm. Shake on it?" She extended for her hand.

He approached warily, but took her hand readily enough. "Shake on it,_ daughter_."

Again Kitten sighed. This next part would be even more against her nature, but she had to do it. She reached her other arm around him, and drew him into a hug.

Surprised, he reciprocated. "My, my. To what do I owe the honor?"

Still in his embrace, she shrugged again. "May as well deal with reality. My father's dead, and no amount grief or hating you is gonna bring him back. I may as well get started in my dealing with it now. And you're right about another thing: in a real sense, you _are_ my father. I guess I need to start dealing with that, too."

He was about to tell her how pleased he was that she'd come around so quickly, and that he'd made her all the more proud of her, when he felt the sharp stick of a knife penetrating the back of his neck. He had time to feel an intense agony…and then collapsed on the floor. None of his limbs moved. He could barely move his head.

Kitten knelt down in front of him. "In case your curious, or haven't figured it out by now, I just severed your spinal chord. You're paralyzed.

"Now, I know what you're thinking. 'Stupid girl, I have the same healing factor as you. I'll regenerate, heal, the nerves regrowing around the blade, which I'll then simply pull out. And, in the meantime, I'll be thinking just exactly what I'll do to you once I do heal. But no matter what, my immune system will heal me.' Right? Am I close?

"Well, let me introduce you to some little friends of mine." She held up a canister of clear fluit with a syringe in one end. A wickedly sharp syringe. "This canister contains some nanobot probes, courtesy of a former associate of mine." Now she smiled a smile that would have made a saber-toothed tiger uneasy. "And guess what _they_ fuck with."

A few minutes later, in another part of the complex, Kitten found what she was looking for: behind Plexiglas windows were the fluids containing hordes of mosquito larvae, ready for gestation. Right across from it was the warm storage area that held the retrovirus. _All his eggs in one basket,_ she thought. Well, good. Her years of experience with her father and his fascination with insects had finally paid off. Thinking of him, her breath hitched , even as, reaching into her backpack, she drew forth a mini-nuke, armed and primed it…she didn't think she'd be able to get away in time, but she couldn't bring herself to care, so long as she was able to take down the bastard that killed her dad…

Omega appeared at the doorway. "Kitten," he began, severely. "I think we need to have a serious discussion."

She felt numb. It didn't even register with her how he'd found her so quickly. "No, 'Mega, jus' go on. I'll stay here and make sure the bomb goes off. And, and…." And here again she choked, "Never mind. Just go. Forget about me."

"Okay, I see how _this_ is going." And he picked her up bodily, and carried her to the extraction point.

She fought, pounding her fists against his back, already knowing it would do no good. Invulnerable, remember? "Put me down!"

"Yes. That'll happen. Once we're safe."

_Our universe:_ Omega, with Devil Cat clasped tightly to him, was the last to emerge from the gate. "Alright," said Raven, "clog and shut it!" And even as Terra sent a solid stream of loose dirt and gravel into the gate, Delta passed a hand over the control that reversed the 'can opener' effect, closing that gate, and sealing off the pocket universe, leaving it to drift apart in hypertime. {{Orb? Can you confirm that pocket dimension is no longer attached to this one?}}

{{**Yes, Raven. Even as we speak, it is drifting farther away. The likelihood of anyone reconnecting it to this one is….extremely small.**}}

Kitten whapped Omega on the shoulder. "Should'a left me. Why'd you come back for me, anyway? Whaddayou _see_ in me?"

He held her head in his hand, there with the others looking on. Gazed deep into her eyes, which were red and puffy from crying. "Oh, I don't know. My other half, maybe? And don't you even try to tell me otherwise." He paused, a wicked gleam in his eye. "Besides. I had to return something to you."

_Sniff._ "What?"

"This." And he produced the small minitransponder/tracker she'd clipped onto his collar moments before their invasion of Lucifer's stronghold.

Her eyes widened. "How did you-*"

He kissed her. "You think you're so sneaky. But what you said—just before we went into battle—was totally out of character for you. So I knew there had to be some reason you'd want me…distracted."

Athena looked puzzled. "What did she say?" she asked.

"Something about ice cream."

Raven stepped forward. "Alright. Report, people. Did we accomplish our goals? Athena? Did we acquire the data we sought?"

"Affirmative. Alpha and I will have to go over it, but we were able to download a huge amount of data from Lucifer's computers. Whether or not it's the right data, of course, we don't know yet.

"Raven," spoke up Omega, still holding Kitten, "Will you please excuse us? Kitten and I have some things to discuss. Alone. If you don't mind." _Or even if you do._

And there was another reason for his request. He'd spied a wrapped form over by the wall. A very still wrapped form.

"Oh, of course. People, we'll examine the data, and reconvene at Slade's old lair—let's start calling that our 'backup' or 'stealth' HQ. Alright, everybody, get freshened up and we'll meet back there at ten hundred hours. Everybody okay with that? Any objections? No? Very well, then. I'll see you all then."

_To be continued…_


	22. Chapter 22: Proposals

Tales of the Titans: Crucible, Chapter 22: Proposals

Titans' Tower, Omega's Room: Omega and Kitten sat side by side on his bed. "Still wish you'd left me over there."

Omega was silent for a moment, staring at the floor in front of him. Then, "Well, since I love you so much, I suppose I can forgive this insult."

She looked up at him. "Insult? What are you talking about?"

He looked her right in the eyes. "Kitten. Did you leave me on that neutron star?"

"No-o, but what-*"

"Why did you come get me?"

"Be-because I love you, you doofus! Why, what other rea-*"

"So it seems to me that you are saying my love for you isn't as strong as your love for me. But then, I suppose I can understand that." He looked off. "I am, after all, basically a biological construct, really. What you'd call a 'test tube baby.' And, in light of that, it's understandable that you feel I don't possess the emotions that a _real_ person would."

"Omega! You ARE a real person! I don't know anybody with, with stronger emotions, than you!"

"But you evidently believed I don't love you as much as you love me. Isn't that what you are saying? You couldn't leave me, but I could've, should've, left you?"

She sniffled. "That's—that's not the way I meant it at all."

"So….what way _did_ you mean it?"

More sniffling. "I, I guess I meant….oh, I don't know what I meant. I'm confused. I guess….I just wanted to go be with my dad. I, I just couldn't seem to let him go. For so long, he was all I had. Ever since… And, and maybe I was really talking about myself. Back just a few years ago, yeah, I'd have left you on that space rock, doing God knows what to yourself, an' to hell with you. That's the way I'd've thought back then. But now…" She fell silent for a long moment. "I accused you of not wanting to deal with changes. I yelled at you and called you horrible names. And there I was, basically about to commit suicide for the exact same reason: I couldn't stand to lose my dad." Sigh. "You are absolutely right: I _am_ insulting you. But I'm really insulting myself. So…forgive me?"

"I will…under one condition."

"What's the condition?

"I insist that you wear a certain article of apparel. This is non-negotiable."

"Uuuhhhmmm, O—ok." Whatever could he have in mind? A skimpy see-through negligee? Something from Victoria's Secret? But he had X-ray vision…

He produced a small suede box. She was thinking it didn't look big enough to hold so much as a pair of panties when he opened it, to reveal the sparkling contents within.

For the first time in her entire life, Kitten was speechless.

…..

"So. Analysis?" Raven was in the Kindred's hive, with Cyborg looking hungrily at the alien computers. She wasn't sure she'd be able to pry him away from them, once the job was done. Assuming it ever got done.

"Good and bad. We can find and edit Robin's memories…but there's still some doubt about being able to actually accomplish a full reversal of his 'amnesia' regarding Starfire."

Raven let out a breath. "So the whole expedition was for nothing."

"No." Athena moved toward the screen, directed Raven's attention to one part of it. "See, these are the patterns associated with his memory, up until the accident. Notice that, according to these links, his memories associated with Starfire include her striking him. Much like web links on a computer page: one leads to the other."

"Yes, I see that…."

"So in order for him to forget that particular incident, he has to forget about her altogether. See?" Raven nodded. "But what we _can_ do, in this instance, is record his memories before the accident, then eradicate them from his brain altogether, then, well, _replant_ them, I suppose you'd say. Replant his old memories, right up to the point of the incident. Understand?"

"I believe I see. Something like uninstalling and reinstalling a computer program?"

"A crude analogy, but yes."

"But he'll still have a gap in his memories."

Cyborg shrugged. "Can't be helped. He probably would have, anyway. But there's another issue we need to address." He and Athena exchanged worried glances.

"What?"

"_Starfire's_ memories. She'll still have 'em. I mean, even assuming we present her with a totally-recovered Robin….she'll still remember her part in the matter. How will that affect her?"

"Good point. So….what do you two propose?"

…

Starfire and Robin both emerged from the Orb at about the same time. Cyborg, Omega, and Athena, along with Raven and Kitten, were there to see them.

Starfire immediately rushed over to Robin's side. "You are the all of right, beloved?" Her concern was evident in her voice.

"Yeah, Star, I'm fine. Bit of a headache, though." He looked at the others, his gaze switching from Raven to Cyborg. "Anybody care to fill me in?"

Raven and Cyborg exchanged the briefest of glances. "There was a bomb. Our adversary set it off just as he prepared to release a swarm of his infected mosquitoes on the city. Starfire caught the brunt of the blast; otherwise, we'd be scraping you off the walls. But Omega and Athena happened to be on duty, so the mosquitoes…were dealt with." She then told him the rest of the story, which was largely unaltered.

Afterwards, Starfire and Robin sat, both stunned at the turn of events. "So…you were able to seal off this 'Dr. Devil's' dimensional fortress?"

"Yes," replied Raven, somberly. "But not without suffering a casualty." She told him of Killer Moth's death. Robin's face hardened. Killer Moth might have once been an enemy, but he'd become a friend and ally. "And I believe this is yours." Raven handed him his commbadge back with a sigh of relief. "Believe me, I'm glad to be rid of it." Wordlessly, he took it and pinned it back on his lapel, a preoccupied expression on his face.

"Kitten? I, I can't tell you how sorry I am-*"

"It's okay, Rob. Well, I mean, it's not _okay_ okay, but…"

"I know. I've….had some experience with…loss…myself." He slid off the table. "I'll get with Batman. I'll see to it that Killer Moth—make that _Dr. Van Cleer_—will be given a hero's burial. It's the least we can do.

"But in the meantime, if all of you would excuse us, I have something I'd like to talk over with Starfire." He went to the door. Turned, just before he got to it. "Star? Coming?"

"Oh, yes, beloved!"

Cyborg moved over by Raven. "I wonder what they're gonna talk about?"

…..

Robin called a meeting at a conference table set up in the Titans' alternate HQ, that had once been Slade's lair. They all had to admit, it did have its advantages. The place had its own power supply—a geothermal sink—, environmental controls, complete with redundant self-repair mechanisms, to the point that it was totally independent of the outside. Of course, they would still maintain the other, the Tower, but this did make for a nice alternative. Due to the integral force-fields, it was even earthquake-proof, up to a point. "Okay, people. I suppose you're all wondering why I've called this meeting.

"We've faced down a very dangerous foe recently. We—the group as it now is-have all been through a kind of baptism of fire, a crucible—not that we needed another one, but, in this line of work, we seem to get them on a regular basis anyway. And although I have no evidence, I have a strong suspicion that, were it not for the help and assistance of some friends—some good friends—Star and I might not be here today. At least, not as we are. And we've emerged from this fire the stronger for it.

"But the cost was…high. I'd give almost anything I can think of for it to have worked out differently, but…" Here he looked at Kitten, sitting by Omega, with Angelique on her other side. "Our job goes on—but we will remember our fallen. Kitten," she looked up at him, "I've spoken with Batman and the Justice League. We…have a special place of internment for those who fall in the line of duty, which your father certainly did. With your permission, we'd like to bury him there." Athena and Hank had found his body and brought it back with them. Kitten didn't trust herself to say anything, but just nodded. "Good. Then it's settled." Angelique hugged her.

"Now. On to the next thing. I…have an announcement to make." He looked at Starfire, seated beside him. "Or, perhaps I should say, Starfire and I have an announcement to make. As many of you know, I asked Starfire to marry me a while back, and she said yes. This last round has served to remind me of just how fleeting life can be, and how easily it can be lost. So I can't think of a better time for us both to make good on that." There was a murmuring around the table; not that they all hadn't seen this coming, but…."We haven't yet set a date, but it'll be soon. And we've already agreed to honeymoon on Tameran. What our plans will be after that….well, we haven't gotten that far yet. Although," and here, he glanced mischievously at Starfire, who hadn't said a word throughout the whole speech, "Unless I'm badly mistaken, I believe I distinctly heard the word 'children' come up."

"But I said all that to say this: I think it's time to select a new leader." He walked over to Raven and handed her his commbadge, again.

Raven's shocked expression spread all the way across her face. She'd thought just gotten rid of the thing. "Oh, no you don't! I'm no leader! I, I'm not qualified…"

"Well, let's see." Robin ticked off the points on his hand. "You've established contact, and have a relationship based on trust, with a being that, for all intents and purposes, may as well be God, or so close as to make no real difference. In a sense, you're his High Priestess. You're on a first name basis with a being from outside time and space, one who's consciousness extends into time in both directions. You're best friends with, and a blood relative to, someone who has pretty much single-handedly established peaceful contact with an alien federation. You've dealt with the Kindred, and they trust you. You've faced down Darkseid himself, and survived. And you've led the Titans against a foe that cost us more than the invasion of Apokolips itself. About the only thing you _haven't_ done is to get Trigon to sign a peace treaty with the United Nations, and if anybody can do _that,_ it's you. Raven, there's nobody _better_ qualified. Face it."

She shook her head. "You don't understand. I—I have psychological issues. Tell him, Cyborg! You were there, in Nevermore! I, I'm not a whole person.."

"But all of your selves came together when it mattered, Rae. Don't look for me to speak against you." Cyborg was grinning like a hyena. "Rob's right. There's nobody better qualified."

"Besides," continued Robin, "nobody's talking about handing over the reins just yet. I've still got a few loose ends to tie up. You'll all have some time to get used to situation."

The End

….

Epilogue: Titans' Tower, the Morgue: Athena met Omega just outside the door to the inner chamber. {{You summoned me?}}

{{I did. I need verification of something.}}

{{Something to do with Killer Moth's body?}} For there was no other occupant to the morgue. {{Shouldn't Kitten be here?}}

{{No. In fact,}} he glanced off, his senses penetrating steel and stone, {{I've sent her off on an errand. I don't want her to know about this. Not yet, anyway.}}

{{About what?}} Whatever could it be?

{{Come in here. I can show you better than I can tell you.}} Once inside, he opened the locker containing Killer Moth's body, sliding the tray out into the middle of the room, and removing the sheet covering it. {{Examine this body. Examine it closely.}}

Athena did so. {{I see nothing of note. What am I supposed to be looking for?}}

{{Check the carbon-14 dating.}}

Athena's eyes widened. {{This…this is impossible!}}

{{Your senses don't lie. This body is only five days old.}}

{{So that means….}

{{This is—this _must be_—a clone. And _that_ can only mean one thing: this isn't Killer Moth.}} His mental "voice" turned grim, and he turned away from the table. {{But who cloned him? Did Killer Moth clone himself, make a backup of himself, knowing his life was in jeopardy? Did Lucifer clone him? Or is this the work of our mysterious unseen third party, your "secret admirer"?}}

Athena turned from the body before her. {{Worst case scenario?}}

{{That Lucifer cloned him, meaning he's alive and in need of rescue. Somewhere.}}

{{Best case scenario?}}

{{That he cloned himself, and will reveal himself in time.}}

{{Middle ground?}}

{{That our third party cloned him, for reasons unknown, and therefore unpredictable.}}

{{So what do we do?}}

He bit his lip. {{I don't want to get Kitten's hopes up without more information and some sort of plan.}} He thought for a moment. {{There's really nothing we _can_ do, at present. But I wanted your input on the matter.}}

Athena put her hand on his shoulder, a concerned expression on her face. {{Omega…I know you proposed to her. Do you really think it's right to keep any secrets from her? Especially one like this?}}

He pressed his hands against his face. {{I'm already keeping one. You know the one I'm talking about. So I—I don't know, Athena. I just don't know.}}


End file.
